Women and emerging national identity in wales during the 198485 miners strike by elizabeth benoy course. So these real human stories cant be forgotten by history, here they are for everyone in exactly the way they were presented. April 1984, the day after the emergency commons debate on police tact. Dec 02, 2010 an article about the 1984 miners strike in wales, on the bbc wales history website. Definition of miners strikes from the oxford advanced learners dictionary. Material relevant to the 1984 miners strike can also be found at the south wales coalfield collection at the university of wales swansea, archives, library and information services there will also be relevant material in local and county record offices in. Mcgregor himself was proving notably incompetent and unconvincing in his presentation of the ncb case, and we now know, from what has later been revealed after the strike was over, that there were at times serious disagreements between. After a period of relative stability in the second world war and the early postwar period, the british coal industry nationalised in 1947 underwent a massive construction from 700,000 employed in 1957 to 300,000 by 1070 as alternative fuels. The miners strike of 198485 will always be remembered in british working class history as the most significant turning point in the power relationship between the working class organisations of the trade unions, and the state representing the interests of the privileged minority in the late twentieth century. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates. It was led by arthur scargill of the national union of mineworkers num against the national coal board ncb, a government agency. Michael stewart the miners strike lrb 6 september 1984. Jan 04, 2014 thatcher debated using military in 1984 miners strike.
The national miners strike 19845 involved 142,000 mineworkers and has been described as the most bitter industrial dispute in british history. Feb 02, 2004 the 1984 miners strike was a last attempt by the mining unions to stop mining closures and the loss of jobs. Two separate groups of mineworkers from yorkshire and derbyshire went to court in an attempt to have the dispute declared illegal. The 198485 miners strike after a period of relative stability in the second world war and the early postwar period, the british coal industry nationalised in 1947 underwent a massive contraction from 700,000 employed in 1957 to 300,000 by 1970, as alternative fuels were used to produce energy. Twenty years after the miners strike of 198485 new class battles are today being prepared in britain. Normanstrikes blog a retrospective diary of the 19845. In light of this, calls have been made for a similar hillsborough style public inquiry into the policing of the british miners strike between 19845. One of literatures greatest strengths is its ability to take us inside the subjective experience of history. May 28, 2011 during an arts and media summer school and teeside university we where put in teams and asked to make a short film on the miners strike over the course of a week, our group won with this film. In order to push through a generalised attack on the whole of the working class they needed to defeat its. The miners strike of 19841985 was one of the most bitter industrial disputes britain has ever seen. In march 1984 more than 187,000 miners came out on strike when the national coal board.
The strike ended on march 3, 1985, nearly a year after it had begun, when the num conceded defeat. Timeline of uk miners strike of 198485 0 london following is a chronology of events in britains miners strike, the longest major labor dispute in the nations history. During an arts and media summer school and teeside university we where put in teams and asked to make a short film on the miners strike over the course of a week, our group won with this film. Scargill marches with dinnington miners in 1984 rally. On 6th march 1984 the national coal board announced that the agreement reached after the 1974 strike had become obsolete and that to rationalise gove. The matter was widely discussed in the press during the years strike, and after. The miners strike saw 203 elswick fd bty ra v achieve an amazing peak of training and capability. Posts about miners strike 198485 written by cgrandy20.
Orgreave was not the worst crime of the miners strike capx. Pickets, police and politics the miners strike of 19841985. Watch miners strike in south derbyshire online bfi player. The catalyst for the strike was the announcement by the. Support the guardian available for everyone, funded by readers contribute subscribe contribute. The miners strike is unlawful because a union ballot was never held, a high court judge has ruled. How the miners strike of 198485 changed britain for ever. Media in category uk miners strike 1984 the following 6 files are in this category, out of 6 total. Can someone explain the 1984 uk miners strikes to me. Jan 11, 2009 video of the miners strike in 1984 to mark the 25th anniversary, this is some footage of the picket lines and the riots that ensued.
Much of margaret thatchers new neoliberal settlement, replacing the old socialdemocratic one, survived and indeed helped to shape new labour. I have a musty old box of poems collected by my dad. Drawing generality out from the individual experiences of the interviewee is. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. Courtney booker a graduating thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of bachelor of arts honours in the faculty of arts history department we accept this thesis as confirming to. Remembering the 1984 miners strike that devastated south. Miners walked out and were soon joined by colleagues around the country. One of literatures greatest strengths is its ability to take us inside the subjective experience of history into the heat of the miners.
The public voice miners strike 19841985 by chloe ryall and shannon newton 2. In 1984 5 the miners went on strike again because the national coal board, which was in charge of all british mines at the time, planned to close several mines, with the loss of over 20 000 jobs. Untold story of international help in 198485 miners strike details. Arthur scargill, the politician and trade unionist who led the national union of mineworkers in the 198485 miners strike, and was arrested during thedisturbances, has also called for a public inquiry into the events.
Welsh miners were killed whilst on picket duty and a taxi driver was killed as he took a. The miners strike of 19841985 was one of the most bitter industrial disputes. Besides newspapers the collection includes a small amount of cartoons, postcards, posters, pamphlets and photocopies of material on miners wives. In 1972 the miners came out on strike for higher pay, with a successful result. I have heard to many different versions from different people, so give me unbiased answers please. Thatcher debated using military in 1984 miners strike the. James mccarthy remembers the 1984 miners strike that devastated south wales, crushed the num and left. In the 1970s, the national union of miners had extracted pay deals and benefits from the government way in excess of the value of the coal they were producing. Online image or video patent podcast presentation or lecture press release religious text report software website 2. The present miners strike compels an appalled fascination of a kind quite. However, large stockpiles of coal and the national union of mineworkers decision not to ballot its members meant the strike was not as successful and it ended exactly one year later. Image from a leaflet produced by the num in support of the miners. Perspectives of the miners strike orgreave truth and. Jan 11, 2007 the miners strike of 1984 85 will always be remembered in british working class history as the most significant turning point in the power relationship between the working class organisations of the trade unions, and the state representing the interests of the privileged minority in the late twentieth century.
The miners strike of 1984 85 was a major industrial action to shut down the british coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. The 19841985 miners strike was a brutal clash between the conservative government and the national union of mineworkers num, the events of which became televised extensively on an international scale. The miners strike in 19841985 by annesofie wraae on prezi. Thousands of miners and police clashed at the orgreave coking site in south yorkshire. Looking back at the 19845 miners strike solidarity. The 19841985 miners strike newspaper collection archives hub. The yearlong strike involved hardship and violence as pit communities from south wales to scotland fought to retain their local collieries for many the only source of employment. The conservative government, led by mrs thatcher, believed that the coal industry should be run without a huge government subsidy, which stood at over.
A taxi driver, david wilkie, is killed taking a working coal miner to work in. This was the most bitterly contested dispute, in modern history battle of orgreave. To be sure, the miners had a good deal and to try to prevent a strike the national coal board gave to the miners the best ever pay offer, the highest ever investment and for the first time the promise that no miner would lose his job against his will. Amber rudd may have ruled out a new inquiry, but the campaigners are not giving up and nor is jeremy corbyn along with many other senior labour figures, who have pledged that they will continue the fight the confrontation at orgreave, on june 18, 1984, was the most violent day of the miners. The call comes with one voice from those on the left. The peoples history museum holds banners, posters and ephemera relating to the strike. The miners strike of 198485 was a major industrial action to shut down the british coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures.
The media became obsessed with the numbers of miners who were back at work, even though the government later admitted that the figures had been inflated. I would love to lodge a foia request asking how many mtds were expended in that unit between 19831984 and then say 198889. The miners strike of 1984 1985 was one of the most bitter industrial disputes britain has ever seen. A quarter of a century ago britain was split by its most bitter industrial dispute ever. Its members had become extremely impoverished and the government had grown extremely hostile. The british ruling class consciously prepared to take on the miners after they had suffered humiliation in 1972 and 1974. In 19845 the miners went on strike again because the national coal board, which was in charge of all british mines at the time, planned to. The miners strike 198485 page 7 of 18 the guardian. Thatcher and the welsh miners strike 19845 history bibliographies in harvard style. They achieved this by strikes and mass picketing of power stations, preventing deliveries of coal by physically intimidating the delivery drivers. The miners strike was a time when class conflict in britain was open and not one sided. Mar 10, 2009 1984 1 marchnational coal board ncb announces closure of cortonwood pit in yorkshire miners at the pit walk out6 marchscottish and yorkshire areas of the num make strike official12 marchhalf. How does literature reflect the 1984 miners strike. The attack caused a widespread revulsion at the extent of violence.
As history, unit 2, british politics, thatcher, miners strike, cause and consequences. Jun 08, 2016 in light of this, calls have been made for a similar hillsborough style public inquiry into the policing of the british miners strike between 19845, with newspapers facing fresh allegations. The strike by the national union of mineworkers began on 6th march 1984, in response to pit closures, wage restraints and heavy reductions in government subsidies. The effects of the miners strike are still felt today 30 year on. The 1984 strike followed on from the disputes in 1972 and 1974. During the strike the miners and their families displayed.
The conservatives lost the election, and the new labour government gave the miners a big pay increase, ending the strike. Sian moore finds an examination of the biased press coverage of the miners strike instructive. The thirtieth anniversary of the 19845 british miners strike against pit. The miners strike is being represented as the last kick of an old order.
Original miners poems from the strike 1984 1985 i have a musty old box of poems collected by my dad. Thanks for watching 11 january 1938 born in leeds, west yorkshire british politician joined num in. Scargills continued refusal to hold a strike ballot led to the formation of a rival union, the democratic miners union. Uk coal mines face closures as insolvency threatens miners strike 1984 kellingley, one of the newest uk deep mines, could be slated for closure consequences the role of arthur scargill 10 dead bodies about 20. Thatcher and the welsh miners strike 19845 history. Video of the miners strike in 1984 to mark the 25th anniversary, this is some footage of the picket lines and the riots that ensued. How the tories planned to take on the miners and the working class.
Opposition to the strike was led by the conservative government of prime minister margaret thatcher, who. Feb 09, 2012 newspaper articles, personal quotes, photos and poems to help study the causes and effects of the miners strike. The two arresting officers gave opposing accounts of my arrest yet i was. As she saw it, the defeat of the miners strike of 198485 cut the brake on the application of largely unrestrained market forces, not only in energy but in the wider ordering of society. For some, even though 25 years later, the legacy of the strike arouses raw emotions, for others it was a very positive time. David james wilkie 9 july 1949 30 november 1984 was a welsh taxi driver who was killed during the miners strike in the united kingdom, when two striking miners dropped a concrete block from a footbridge onto his taxi whilst he was driving a strikebreaking miner to work. The miners strike began on 5 march 1984 and lasted until 3 march 1985. The newspapers in this collection provide an insight into the key events and chronology of the 19845 miners strike. The miners strike 198485 the 1984 strike followed on from the disputes in 1972 and 1974. There were exceptions, but the generalisation as a whole was, unfortunately, to stand. Jul 30, 2010 the mining industry was nationalised government run and funded before margaret thatcher. The subsequent exposure of police tactics in confronting 500 miners picketing the coking plant near rotherham and the. Arthur scargill called it the industrial battle of britain but for the majority of miners in south derbyshire there was no strike after they voted not to join the walkout called by scargill and the num from their yorkshire stronghold. The miners lost the strike 1985 num return to work the strike became a symbolic struggle arthur scargill questions who started the strike.
The 19845 miners strike and the spirit of solidarity. This page is for all those who believe that the miners strike of 1984 1985 should never be forgotten. Jun 18, 2018 far from the miners strike representing the end of class struggle, it provides us with a wealth of lessons to prepare for the new battles which have already begun. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company.
The death of taxi driver david wilkie, killed by a concrete block dropped from. Far from the miners strike representing the end of class struggle, it provides us with a wealth of lessons to prepare for the new battles which have already begun. An open conspiracy conservative politics and the miners strike 19845 august 1985 mia. The government of edward heath refused to compromise on a 7% rise and a strike began whereupon the government declared a state of. An article about the 1984 miners strike in wales, on the bbc wales history website. The attack caused a widespread revulsion at the extent of violence in the dispute. On 3rd march 1985, miners marched back to work behind their banners. The miners strike 198485 thompsons trade union solicitors. Looking back at the 19845 miners strike solidarity federation. Courtney booker a graduating thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of bachelor of arts honours in the faculty of arts history department we accept this thesis as. It was on march 6 1984, that the national coal board announced plans.
Mick brooks looks back at the 198485 miners strike see also the ridley report. This morning i played out my final part in the 1984 1985 miners strike when i appeared at edinburgh sheriffs court to answer my breach of the peace charge, outstanding since july. Mar 08, 2009 a quarter of a century ago britain was split by its most bitter industrial dispute ever. I would love to lodge a foia request asking how many mtds were expended in that unit between 1983 1984 and then say 198889. The flying pickets were making life hard for those crossing.
556 830 808 711 603 75 388 1358 512 1007 1203 446 750 1515 1356 866 225 349 570 828 518 721 773 379 178 843 385 432 736