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The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985

The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985. The 1970s. Thatcher and Scargill. In 1979 the Conservatives won power led by Margaret Thatcher. She had been in the 1974 government that was beaten by the miners. After winning the Falklands War in 1982 and the election in 1983 she was in a strong position.

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The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985

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  1. The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985 The 1970s Thatcher and Scargill In 1979 the Conservatives won power led by Margaret Thatcher. She had been in the 1974 government that was beaten by the miners. After winning the Falklands War in 1982 and the election in 1983 she was in a strong position. Coal mining was in trouble, Foreign coal, oil or gas was cheaper. Many mines were losing money. On 1 March 1984 the government announced that it would close 20 pits with the loss of 20,000 jobs. The leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was Arthur Scargill. The NUM leaders began a national miners’ strike. News laws said workers must be balloted before a strike. Scargill argued that different areas had already voted for a strike so a national ballot wasn’t needed. Some miners saw this as undemocratic. For Scargill and most NUM members it was a fight for survival. Thatcher wanted to defeat the miners and she portrayed it as another war, calling the miners ‘the enemy within’. Strong unions, weak governments. Laws allowed the right to strike, to picket and to take action in support of other workers. In 1972 and 1974 miners went on strike over pay. They picketed mines and power stations. Other unions supported them., stopping fuel transport. The Conservative government tried to save power with a 3-day working week but had to agree to the miners’ demands. In February 1974 the government lost the election. Why did the miners succeed? • Industry needed coal • The government couldn’t get enough coal to power stations • Other unions supported the miners • The strike was in winter when coal demand was high

  2. The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985 The miners’ tactics The government’s tactics The Conservatives passed laws reducing union rights Stockpiles of coal, private companies to transport coal and some powers tations converted from coal to oil – as a result power stations kept going Heavy fines of £5 million imposed on the NUM because it had not had a national ballot Ian MacGregor was appointed head of the National Coal Board (NCB) and he had a reputation for taking a hard line against unions No state benefits for miners (because the strike was ruled illegal) – many families were in real poverty Promises to the Nottinghamshire miners that their pits and jobs were safe – this divided the miners They got information about the NUM’s plans from people in other unions. Police brought in from all over the country so that miners’ villages had a massive police presence Police used to stop strikers (‘flying pickets’) travelling between strike areas Stories fed to the media about NUM ‘corruption’ and ‘links with the Soviet Union’ Ministers kept saying in the media that strikers were using violence against miners who wanted to work Miners against the strike were helped to form their own breakaway union (the UDM) and the government promised their pits would be kept open • A national strike was harder for the government to deal with than local strikes • As there was no national ballot there was no delay and the strike started immediately • The strike was portrayed as a fight for survival against a government wanting to destroy the miners and the unions • ‘Flying pickets’ travelled to more ‘economic’ mines to try and stop work there • The media was used to show police brutality • The solidarity and pride of miners’ communities helped them face hardship • Women in ,mining communities played a big part supportingand organising • Only miners on pickets got money from the NUM • Miners who didn’t strike were called ‘scabs’ and intimidated • Picketing workers resisted police attempts to get workers into the mines. There were bitter fights between police and pickets • Posters, badges, leaflets and appeals for support to other unions and community groups in the UK and overseas • Links to other groups opposing the government and support from popular culture

  3. The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985 The ‘Battle of Orgreave’ Orgreave 18 June 1984 outside the Orgreave coking pant in South Yorkshire – the violence was seen by millions on TV, showing strikers throwing rocks , bricks and bottles at police. The way it was shown made it seem that the miners started the violence and the police only charged after being provoked. As a result, public support for the miners dropped and many union leaders criticised the strikers. The media attacked the miners more and more and NUM leaders had to call off mass pickets. Much later the BBC admitted that they had reversed the order of events.. In fact, police on horseback had attacked peaceful pickets and caused serious injuries. Only then did the miners fight back. The media Public opinion was divided. Support for the strike was high in areas directly affected – South Wales, South Yorkshire, Durham, Scotland, Kent – but the government had a lot of support in other areas. This was partly because newspapers were strongly against the strike – especially the Sun and Daily Mail and even the Daily Mirror. Only leftwing papers like the Socialist Worker and Morning Star fully supported the miners. Media reports made the strike seem violent, with strikers attacking police and ‘scabs’ and this affected public support, The NUM argued that the fight was mostly between unarmed men and women facing large numbers of police heavily armed with batons, riot shields and horses.

  4. The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985 Supporting the strike Other unions The TUC voted to support the strike but nothing really happened and some unions refused , especially the electricians’ and steelworkers’ unions (even though the miners had supported steelworkers in their strike in 1980) The Labour Party did not support the strike, though several local branches raised funds for strikers and their families. Many Nottinghamshire miners left the NUM and formed a new union (the Union of Democratic Mineworkers –UDM) that refused to strike. They were encouraged by the government. The union of colliery deputies and overmen (NACODS) voted to strike but in the end they called off their strike. Meanwhile the National Coal Board (NCB) offered cash, bonuses and higher wages to strikers who went back to work. More miners started drifting back to work. In September 1984 the High Court ruled that the strike was illegal. As a result • Striking miners could not get state benefits and so had to live off handouts and charity • The NUM was fined and refused to pay, so the courts seized their funds In mining areas poverty and hunger was common. Many miners faced the dilemma • Go back to work and be seen as a ‘scab’? • Or stay on strike and have no way of supporting the family? Miners support groups were set up, often led by wives and girlfriends . Collections outside supermarkets, communal kitchens, benefit concerts. Women Against Pit Closures – large numbers of women took a leading part in organisation and support work

  5. The Miners’ Strike 1984-1985 Outcomes The end On 2 March 1985 the NUM voted 98 to 91 to end the strike. Extreme poverty meant they could not go on. It had lasted 51 weeks without getting anything from the NCB or the government. The miners decided to go back to work with a celebration of their struggle, with marches and music. Womens’ support groups gave flowers to the returning miners. Many mining communities were divided between those who had stayed on strike and those who had gone back to work. Many NUM members were very angry with the Nottinghamshire miners and saw them as strike-breakers. Between 1985 and 1994 nearly all the coal mines in the UK were closed down , including the Nottinghamshire pits in spite of government promises. In late 1984 and early 1985 things got more and more difficult for the NUM: • MacGregor said some pits would be privatised • The TUC started putting pressure on the NUM to settle • The NCB claimed that 1200 strikers had returned to work • A taxi driver taking a working miner to work was killed • The High Court banned all mass picketing in Yorkshire which meant if the NUM had more than 6 people on a picket they would lose their funds • MacGregor said sacked miners would not get their jobs back THINK Why did the strike fail? Is there any way it could have succeeded? The government thought they were going to win in a few weeks: why didn’t they?

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