The Miners' Strike of 1984 was a turning point in British history. Despite producing around 44% of British power needs (from just 39 mines employing 6,000 people - UK Coal) , even the UK coal industry knows it is an industry in decline. Clashes between the police and strikers resulted in injuries and deaths and demonstrated a legalising of state violence against protesters, hailing in a new era of state control. This turnaround in steels fortunes made it possible for Thatcher to privatise the industry something she also had in mind for coal. The pit closures the miners had fought so hard to prevent began in earnest. Meanwhile the mining community policed itself. Whole populations of towns were dependant on employment from the mines. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain became the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on 1st January 1945. Why were the Jews expelled from England in 1290? 104-8, for 1871-94; F.A. Whole populations of towns were dependant on employment from the mines. Methane was also known as firedamp and minedamp. The miners' strike of 1984-85 was the longest and most acrimonious industrial dispute in Britain's modern history. |
You can unsubscribe at any time. Details of the national standard weekly rates of wages of various categories of coal miners, operative from 1st April 1973, are given in the publication "Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Work". Use of this site constitutes acceptance of theTerms and Conditions. After successful strikes in 1972 and 1974 which prevented pit closures, calls were made for strikes in the early 1980s, eventually leading to the strike of 1984-1985. Economics
The average salary for a miner is 41,011 per year in England. The government announced on 6 March 1984 that 20 collieries would close, meaning that many mining communities would lose their main source of employment. From the start, Scargill was confident of victory. Police Incident report from Northumbria, 1984. The third difference was the Thatcher factor. A flying picket was the organised transportation of strikers to strategic workplaces, such as coal processing plants. I durst now say anything. Despite the miners efforts, the government succeeded and in the end most of Britains coal mines were closed. Are essential cookies that ensure that the website functions properly and that your preferences (e.g. Findmypast |
Heath was only prepared to offer 7-8%. When such differences lead to the cessation of labour, there is superadded great pecuniary loss, always falling most heavily, of course, upon the men, from the smallness of their resources but very injurious also to the owner, and detrimental, as well, if continued, to the shipping and other interests of the port. The Case of Marcella, Medieval Mediterranean Communities and Movement 1150-1350, Seeing the Caribbean: Pissarro, Gauguin and Matisse colouring the other, Staging the archive: reconstructing early modern state authority through practice as research, The Business Dealings of a Nun and Scholar of Oxford in the 15th Century, The Crimean Moment and Crucible: Just War, Principles of Peace, and Debates in Victorian Wartime Thought and Culture, 1854-6, The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots: a European news sensation. Copyright 2023 - Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL Along with the fighting for their wages, miners endured harsh working conditions every day. The horrors of these working conditions came to light in 1842 with the Childrens Employment Commission. Afterwards the pace of closures was accelerated, and many pit villages never recovered. Heath introduced the Three-Day Working Week at the start of 1974 to combat the 1973 Oil Crisis, and the second UK Miners' strike took place on 24. | Report other issues | © UK Parliament. However, the setup was more matriarchal than might be imagined. Dalziel, The Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association, esp. A reporter for the Dublin Evening Mail was amazed that even in the face of eviction the workers still held their convictions. It was suppressed by the government and resulted in the, The NUM and Thatcher negotiated her plans to cut subsidies to coal mining. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. Everything you need to know about Freedom of Information and how to go about making a request. The union will send out ballot papers to members next week and hope to implement the changes on 1 March. The stalemate produced by Thatchers preparations ground on for a year. On the 5th of March 1985, a crowd gathered in a South Yorkshire pit village to watch a sight none of them had seen in a year. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Roughly how many strikes occurred during the Winter of Discontent? Many of these men had little capital and often paid wages in goods not
Many of our readers will remember the miners strike of 1980s. Mining Economics / Wages In the 18 th and much of the 19 th century most mine workers were employed not by the mine owner but by a charter master or 'Butty' who had agreed to get coal for a fixed price per ton. Mining villages opened in Lancashire, Yorkshire, South Wales, Northumberland and Durham. In April of each year the agreed national standard rates of wages for the various grades of underground workers specified in the then current coal mining agreement were within the ranges shown below. ]]> Their job was considered one for life and the pay was customarily a family wage. Tens of thousands of miners went on strike following an announcement by Coal Board Chairman Ian McGregor that 20 uneconomic pits would have to close, putting 20,000 miners out of work. The aim was to shut down both coal production and its transportation to all but vital services such as hospitals and nursing homes. This law proved to be a highly effective aspect of the government's handling of the 1984/5 strike as it made life extremely difficult for the miners and their families, contributing to the eventual return to work. She conceded a, Arthur Scargill, president of the NUM, called for another strike. 89W
One theory to be tested is that the miners who continued working had arrived more recently in the coalfield or did not come from mining families and thus had less conception of solidarity. 8 hour shift. Your email address will not be published. Children explained how they were fitted with a girdle and chain around their body to pull the coal out of the mine. The flames of the lamp helped to notify miners of the invisible presence of flammable gases by burning brighter and with a blue tinge when flammable gases were present. Get 6 issues for 19.99 and receive a 10 gift card* PLUS free access to HistoryExtra.com, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com, Your guide to the miners strike of 198485, The 1888 Matchgirls strike: how a group of East End women changed British labour history. There was little point in delaying the inevitable. [CDATA[// >