10 facts about the miners' strike

The Miners' Strike of 1984 was a turning point in British history. Local resident Sue Howells, 64, found out about the death on the television news. In fact, we may be known for our range of high-quality coals, but that doesnt mean that we [], As the government continues to crack down on the use of residential fuels like bituminous coal, it is safe to say that alternative options are becoming more and more popular. In fact, they didnt become popular until the mid-18th century! The police have been accused of doctoring their accounts of the conflict and using unjust force on the protesters. Its 100% free. The miners asked for 20-percent wage increases, and most were given a 10-percent increase. The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)-represented miners at Warrior Met Coal had called a strike on April 1, citing alleged unfair labor practices and bad faith bargaining by the company; on . While the miners of Kent, Scotland, the North East, Yorkshire and South Wales downed tools and took to the picket lines, their counterparts in the Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, South Derbyshire and North Wales coalfields carried on working. After all, more and more households are choosing to invest in a stove in order to safely burn their chosen fuel for a competitively affordable price. The history of strikes in the UK. The miners struck for four weeks, and the East End docks were brought to a halt for two months. After all, traditional house coal, such as bituminous coals, are often more beneficial than firewood for some properties. Flying picketers would travel to other mines to stop local workers from continuing to work. But the signs had been there for some time. But it was more than that: to the communities involved, from Scotland and South Wales to Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, it often felt like an undeclared civil war, pitting village against village, family against family - even brother against brother. After all, kindling and oxygen are two of the three main components that are required, and fuel can be easily obtained by an adult from a reputable supplier. In 1980, Secretary of State of Industry Sir Keith Joseph appointed a Scottish-American economist Ian MacGregor as head of the nationalised steel industry, British Steel. When a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in South Yorkshire occurred on the 6th of March 1984, the Yorkshire branch of the NUM sanctioned a strike across the county. Because of wood shortages in the 1600s, Brewers in England started drying their Malts with heat generated by coal. Scargill used this as an excuse to call for a nationwide strike. This is mainly because disputes in this group tend to be large. The lessons of the miners' strike - and its defeat - are of great significance to the future of the workers' movement, and deserve thorough study. Child gold miners are often found in the Sahel region of Africa (mainly in Burkina Faso and Niger). 5 The police force was integral in dealing with the 1984 Miners' Strike when conflicts arose. The impact of pit closures upon communities is so immediate and devastating . 5. On 9 th January 1972, coal miners across the country began striking. But this time was different. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? In 1978, a strike led by the private trade union of Ford manufacturers achieved a 17% wage increase. The General Strike, the only one to take place in Britain, was called on 3rd May 1926 and lasted nine days; an historic walkout by British workers representing the dissatisfaction of millions and ushering in the need for change across the country. After all, bituminous coal is thought to be the most popular residential fuel [], As a fossil fuel, our supplies of coal are limited and this means that we will eventually run out. There are so many different things that go into a fire, for example there are several types of firewood and fuels for them, so you just need to figure out [], As the autumn and winter months draw near, it is likely that homeowners will probably start bringing out the firewood to get their fires going. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. We cover everything from coal, smokeless fuel, logs and kindling, so theres information for everyone! Thatcher's government reduced the power of the Trade Unions and the pressure they could exert on the government, ending the strike in 1985. The government announced on 6 March 1984 that 20 collieries would close . The origins of the strike lay in the gradual rundown of the British coal industry, with the workforce falling from a peak of more than 1 million between the world wars to barely 200,000 at the start of the 1980s. Facilities once maintained by the NCB fell into a state of disrepair and several local businesses closed their doors. Sign up to our newsletter. Many years ago, the mining industry played an integral part in the economy of the country and the cities within it. What wasnt taken into account, however, was the human element. Home stoves are the perfect addition to the home in winter; not only do they warm your home but they also provide a unique and [], From traditional bituminous coal to imported firewood, the popularity of domestic fuels has never been higher. Eight deaths were attributed to the strike, including picketers, workers, and a taxi driver. End Date: July 1894. Arthur Scargill, who had taken the president position of the NUM in 1982, saw the appointment as a threat to the coal industry following the methods MacGregor used for the steel industry. Scargill predicted rightly, as it turned out that in an attempt to stem its heavy financial losses, the National Coal Board was bound to push for further closures. As for the fall of Edward Heaths government, that came as a result of his complete ignorance of the public mood, and his macho calling of an early election got the result he deserved. There are several factors [], Kiln dried logs are a very popular solid fuel. The police launched a mounted truncheon charge against the protesters, with 51 strikers and 72 officers being injured. The miners were on top of the world in the 1970s, able to hold the country to ransom to stop pit closures and raise wages. In 1970, Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson lost the general election to Edward Heath of the Conservatives. She now represents Rainworth South and Blidworth as a Labour councillor and believes the pit closures show they were right to strike. A whole culture and identity had grown around coal mining, and with the loss of the mine, much of the cultural activities and infrastructure that had grown around it, from brass bands, to working mens clubs to NCB-sponsored sports and leisure facilities disappeared along with it. The coal industry was officially privatised. "We sat for hours talking about it when we got home, but I'd rather have him at home with me than six feet under, so we had to do what we had to do.". The 1980 Coal Industry Act reduced the borrowing power of the NCB, thus reducing the number of subsidies granted to British mines. Have all your study materials in one place. It didn't seem like the strike would end any time soon. With this said, the government have recently announced their plan to [], Many people are surprised to discover how easy it can be to start a fire. The country's last deep coal mine, Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire, shut in 2015. All Rights Reserved. Stop procrastinating with our study reminders. The strike was called by the National Executive Committee of the NUM and ended when the miners accepted an improved pay offer in a ballot. By the early 1980s the collieries were losing money. js photo studios. Twenty years ago on March 5, 1984 the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) embarked upon the most important class struggle in Britain since the general strike of 1926. On 3 March 1985, the NUM executive, running low on funds and with striking families struggling to feed, heat and clothe themselves, narrowly voted to end the industrial action, without concessions from the government. Kiln Dried Logs Benefits By using kiln dried logs, you are [], Smokeless coal is a solid fuel that doesnt emit any visible smoke or emits a very minimal amount of smoke. It had all been for nothing. Mrs Woodhead, now 68, remembers how during the strike, she borrowed plastic cups from a local school for the strikers' children to use. The failure of the 1984-85 miners' strike helped revive the British economy, but had major implications for the future of labor unions and coal mining in Britain. What percent pay rise did Joe Gormley, president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), demand in 1971? All major credit and debit cards accepted, The Benefits of Burning Fuel at Christmas, How Relative Humidity Affects the Seasoning Process, The benefits of smokeless coal and what not to do, Preparing and making the perfect fire this winter, The Maintenance and Benefits of Wood Burning, 3 Reasons Why Coal Makes an Excellent Residential Fuel, The rules surrounding smoke controlled zones in the UK, Things to remember when seasoning firewood, The Difference Between Hardwood and Softwood. Even the miners themselves werent all of one mind as many disagreed with the NUMs decision to strike. There were rumours that the new Coal Board chairman, Ian MacGregor, wanted to close an additional 70. Wider implications, however, meant that it was perceived as a much larger class battle being waged by the government. The 1984 miners strike, perhaps the most infamous of them all, not only ended in disaster for the miners but spelt the end of the power that the unions had held over the government since the conclusion of World War Two. ]]> The government was offering only 5% to employees of nationalised industries, so these industrial unions also began to protest. Here at Pearson Fuels, we want our clients to recognise the benefits of [], Here at Pearson Fuels, we stock a wide range of high-quality domestic fuels like bituminous coal, anthracite, imported firewood and kiln dried logs. After coming to power in 1979, she had her ministers and civil servants draw up secret plans that would keep coal moving around the country were the miners to attempt another strike. That honor actually belongs to North Carolina. The days of British workers digging lumps of coal out of the ground to burn in power stations were numbered. By the early 1980s, domestic coal production was becoming ever more unprofitable. Coal Miners facts. After all, there are a [], Society has been burning fuel inside the home for hundreds of years in order to obtain heat, however it hasnt always been plain sailing as the chimney was considered a luxury when it was invented in the 12th century. A coalition is when two or more parties agree to lead the government together, meaning that combined, they have more than half of the seats in parliament. If you want to know more about coal, such as its history and uses, check out our blog below. 1 The 1926 General Strike was coordinated by the Trade Union Congress to protest against miners' wages. Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. By 1992, Grimethorpe Colliery had ceased operating and the miners had all been made redundant. Read about our approach to external linking. Neither he, nor anybody else called out the miners, writes David Rainbird. Perhaps the Orgreave inquiry could run in parallel with one into events at Saltleyin 1972. Of the 10 facts about child miners in the world, gold mining deserves a special mention as it exposes children to mercury-poisoning, which is extremely likely due to the nature of gold extraction. The miners' strike of 1984-5 was a major piece of industrial action affecting the British coal industry. Around 5,000 picketers matched 5,000 police officers at a British Steel Corporation coking plant in Orgreave, Yorkshire. The miners strike of 1984-85 was the longest and most acrimonious industrial dispute in Britains modern history. david.pearson1@live.co.uk. Let's find out about these strikes and the changing power dynamic between trade unions and the government. [Google Scholar], History on our Side: Wales and the 1984-85 Miners' Strike; Bruley Bruley, Sue. One aspect that people sometimes fail to take into consideration is checking whether their home falls in [], If you have a wood burning stove then you are going to need a good supply of firewood to keep warm throughout the colder months. This led to violent clashes between the police and pickets, most notoriously at the Battle of Orgreave, where 5,000 miners faced a similar force of police officers. 2023 BBC. To tackle the government's issues with the coal industry, Thatcher put a series of actions into place: A governmental subsidy is a provision of financial support to a British industry to promote its continuation. The successful strikes in the public sector during the winter of 78-79 (known as the Winter of Discontent) had soured public opinion on striking workers due to the considerable inconvenience it had caused the wider public. Was it a good thing that the miners lost? Since Scargill had been so public about his enthusiasm for confrontation, ministers had been building up coal stocks for years. Phone: 0161 427 1260 The coal industry was nationalised in 1946, which protected miners' jobs but also meant the government could decrease their wages. 12th November 1973: The NUM stopped overtime and halved Britain's coal production. Six surprising facts about the Gregorian calendar, The real-life women who inspired WW2 screen heroines, Blood feud: 4 conflicts between royal siblings, The Tyburn Tree: London's premier execution spot, Yorkshire's Nostradamus: The life and prophecies of Mother Shipton. The miner went on strike in 1984 in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. When the strikes finally ended on 3rd March 1985, the NUM had made no headway with their demands. A widespread workers' consciousness formed in the UK from the peak of the Chartist movement in the 1830s, leading to a wave of strikes . In the 1970s, the police had treated the miners with kid gloves. But it was more than that: to the communities involved, from Scotland and South Wales to Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, it often felt like an undeclared civil war, pitting village against village, family against family even brother against brother. This entailed privatising state-own industries, thus reducing the subsidies provided by the government. Let's look at the two critical strikes in the 1970s. [], When you are considering buying a home stove there are plenty of things you need to consider: What style do I go for? Read about our approach to external linking. A change in the law meant that the dependents of miners were not entitled to benefits, as they had been during the strikes of the 1970s. the 1984 strike protested Thatcher's plans to close mines and de-nationalise the coal mining industry. 0 items. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. The Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899 was the largest gold strike in Canadian history. Let's look at a brief history of the coal mining community throughout Modern British history. Fig. But was it a good thing for the country that the miners lost their last battle? After all, coal mining plays a big role in the American economy and there are over 800 active mines that are [], The process of coalification takes around 350 million years to complete, however the mining of coal at different points of its development has led to the categorisation of at least four different types of coal known as peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite. When was the British coal industry nationalised with the introduction of the National Coal Board (NCB)? [CDATA[// > the government 1978, a strike led by the trade Union Mineworkers... Years ago, the NUM had made no headway with their demands mines after new. 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