Num strike 1984 books

In this classic account, seumas milne reveals the astonishing lengths to which her government and its intelligence machine were prepared to go. In the book settling scores, nicholas jones, then the bbcs. The strike only began to crumble when the ncb offered miners various pay incentives to return to work before christmas. The diary of john lowe wharncliffe books, 2011 by jonathan symcox and. National union of mineworkers say this will mean closing 20 pits and loss of 20,000 jobs. Margaret thatcher branded arthur scargill and the other leaders of the 1984 5 miners strike. Loss without limit is a great read for anyone with a serious interest in the topic. This article focuses on one support group in the capital, lesbians and gays support the miners lgsm, which has received little historical analysis. Gascoyne, a forceful 59yearold exfaceworker who swears a lot, was the branch secretary of the national union of mineworkers throughout the strike of 198485 and until the pit closed. Set for release in september, culture clash comedy pride tells the true story of lesbian and gay activists who supported workers during the 1984 national union of minerworkers num strike. Mick mcgahey, vicepresident of the national union of mineworkers for years until his retirement in 1987 at the age of 62, was probably the last of. That is the legacy of the num s strike of 1984 85, a truly historic fight i have always said that the greatest victory in the strike was the struggle itself, a struggle that inspired millions. This video compares the words with the actions of the us chairman of the national.

On a moonlit december night in 1984, i joined a group of num pickets who were. How does literature reflect the 1984 miners strike. Loss without limit new edition by martin adeney, john lloyd isbn. Notes on the miners strike, 19841985 notes on the strike of uk mine workers against closures and to save their union, the num. Nearly 60 percent of the num voted to strike for a 47 percent pay rise. The two arresting officers gave opposing accounts of my arrest yet i was found guilty as charged and fined.

This books authors obviously werent going to have access to all this material, and therefore some of its points have been superceded by more modern arguments. Uk miners strike 198485 news newspapers books scholar jstor october 2018. Protest at sheffield num headquarters, 8th march 1984. In 1984 5, mining communities all over britain fought a yearlon. The conventional story of the miners strike, which began 30 years ago, is now being challenged.

These works are then taken as a starting point for a wider discussion on the ways in which the miners support movement is represented and understood. Margaret thatcher branded the leaders of the 198485 miners strike the enemy within. 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. In this article i discuss three depictions of the strike, all of which focus on miners, activists and supporters of the strikeand in all of which lgsm plays a role, though of varying importance. 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 the miners strike of 198485 changed britain for ever. Veteran of the 1984 miners strike became a labour mp. In his new chapter hywel explores the links between the welsh miners associations and the lesbian and gays support the miners group, and how this alliance came out of the leftwing politics of the 1980s. The miners strike by mark harvey overdrive rakuten. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Margaret thatcher branded arthur scargill and the other leaders of the 19845 miners strike. This book is the second of two volumes examining the place of the national union of mineworkers in postwar british politics. In a book published by the national coal mining museum for england, david john douglass writes that scargills responsibility for the 198485 strike is often exaggerated.

In a foreword to the book, rick sumner, national convenor of justice for mineworkers, acknowledges the part played by the 198485 strike in virtually creating a new badge culture in the num, building on a relatively small tradition of national and area badges in previous years. It was led by arthur scargill of the national union of mineworkers num. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle ebooks, audible audiobooks, and so much more. Vintage miners strike nur aslef num solidarity 1980s enamel pin. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Thatcher debated using military in 1984 miners strike the. On 3 march 1985, the nums executive narrowly voted for a return to work. That is the legacy of the nums strike of 198485, a truly historic fight i have always said that the greatest victory in the strike was the struggle itself, a. Miners wages had not kept pace with those of other industrial workers since 1960. The lessons of the miners strike and its defeat are of great significance to the future of the workers movement, and deserve thorough study. National union of mineworkers president arthur scargill called the strike six months ago when the conservative government announced the closure of 20 uneconomic pits and the loss of 20,000 jobs. Dec 02, 2010 initial locallyorganised strikes across the uk became a national num strike in march 1984. Prolonged num strike will threaten eskom coal supplies fin24. The national union of mineworkers num is a trade union for coal miners in great britain, formed in 1945 from the miners federation of great britain mfgb.

Skillful negotiation is essential during any strike according to john richard hicks. Union stalwart and veteran of the 1984 miners strike who became a longserving labour mp. The son of a communist miner, he has kept its memory alive at the shirebrook miners welfare social club, founded in 1920. Jan 21, 2014 this article focuses on one support group in the capital, lesbians and gays support the miners lgsm, which has received little historical analysis. The conventional story of the miners strike, which began 30 years ago. This was to be the first of 20 pit closures with the loss of 20,000 jobs. The 1972 uk miners strike was a major dispute over pay between the national union of mineworkers num and the conservative edward heath government of the united kingdom. In march 1984 more than 187,000 miners came out on strike when the national coal board. On the 12th march 1984, arthur scargill, president of the num, called a national strike against the pit closures. The num took part in three national miners strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 198485.

The strike was however technically illegal as arthur scargill had not held a ballot of num members. As such it is a highly individualised account of picket encounters with police officers and delivery drivers, of fractious exchanges with lodge officials, court. After the 1984 85 strike and the subsequent closure of most of britains coal mines, it became a much smaller union. In this interview, he talks about the 19841985 miners strike and about the books, if spirit alone won battles. On 12th march 1984, arthur scargill, president of the national union of mineworkers num, called a national strike against the pit closures. The film pride has reignited interest in the struggles of the miners in the south wales valleys in the strike of 19845. During much of 1984, britain was hit by some of the worst industrial action the country has ever seen, as the national union of mineworkers downed tools and upped pickets to resist planned cuts to. It was led by arthur scargill of the national union of mineworkers num against the national coal board ncb, a government agency. The 19845 miners strike and the spirit of solidarity. And guardian journalist seumas milnes 1994 book the enemy within.

Mar 12, 2009 that is the legacy of the nums strike of 198485, a truly historic fight i have always said that the greatest victory in the strike was the struggle itself, a struggle that inspired millions. Set for release in september, culture clash comedy pride tells the true story of lesbian and gay activists who supported workers during. The decision to strike was technically illegal, as there had been no national ballot of num members, even though the nottinghamshire and midlands coalfields for example, had called for a national ballot. The books homepage helps you explore earths biggest bookstore without ever leaving the comfort of your couch. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Was the british governments handling of the 19845 miners.

Sources for the study of the miners strike 1984 1985. Rowling continues to write the cormoran strike series under the name of robert galbraith to maintain the distinction from her other writing. For many num supporters and scargill loyalists, the udm will always be a. The dispute started when the conservative government, led by margaret thatcher, announced the closure of cortonwood colliery in yorkshire. With the 198485 strike, a whole new scene developed. With the publication of this bestselling book a decade later, the full irony of that accusation became clear. The 1984 miners strike was a last attempt by the mining unions to stop mining closures and the loss of jobs. National union of mineworkers great britain wikipedia. I am proud to say that i spent the whole year as a proud picket, and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the strike starting i thought people might be interested in the diary i kept for recording my memories of what i went through and how it changed my whole life. After the 198485 strike and the subsequent closure of most of britains coal mines, it became a much smaller union. For a year over 100,000 members of the national union of mineworkers, their families and supporters, in hundreds of communities, battled to prevent the decimation of the coal industry on which their livelihoods and communities depended. Johannesburg eskom does not expect the national union of mineworkers nums strike in the coal sector to have an immediate effect on its coal supplies, but prolonged industrial action will deplete the power utilitys stockpiles. In the context of the nums decision to seek a merger, this article examines the financial impact of the 198485 strike. 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.

Normanstrikes blog a retrospective diary of the 19845. Union of mineworkers num, called a national strike against the pit closures. Many miners were involved in picketing and protesting including miners from 28 pits in the south wales coalfield. His father, john mcgahey, worked in the mines at shotts, north lanarkshire when mick was born. Set up in the dying days of the 198485 miners strike, the udm. Across frontiers brings to life the fascinating story of the men and women who travelled overseas to speak to workers and raise support for the miners strike. 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. Support sacked miners 1984 85 trade union enamel pin badge num.

Great savings free delivery collection on many items. Was ian gilmour right to argue that the governments handling of the 19845 miners strike was brilliant. Timeline of uk miners strike of 198485 upi archives. By march 12th arthur scargill, leader of the num had declared the intention of. Miners strike in south yorkshire and some scottish pits.

Jun 18, 2018 the lessons of the miners strike and its defeat are of great significance to the future of the workers movement, and deserve thorough study. The author, seumas milne, was a columnist on the guardian when he wrote this book and its 400 pages are a masterpiece of investigative journalism. Shirley dent on how literature reflects the 1984 miners strike books. Examines the financial impact of the strikes held in 19841985 in the mining industries on the national union of mineworkers num of great britain. Pride tells the true story of lgbt support for striking. But it has limited the capacity to recover afterwards and has consequences for merger prospects with other unions. In a book published by the national coal mining museum for england, david john douglass writes that scargills responsibility for the 1984 85 strike is often exaggerated. The miners strike of 198485 was a major industrial action to shut down the british coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. Num president arthur scargill addresses the press during the miners strike in 1984.

International support for the miners strike 1984 85. In addition to being the most bitter industrial dispute the coalminers strike of 19845 was the longest national strike in british history. In 1984 i spent 12 months photographing the miners strike in the uk. Apr 15, 2015 was ian gilmour right to argue that the governments handling of the 19845 miners strike was brilliant. 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. A week after the cortonwood miners walked out in protest the national union of mineworkers declared that the various local disputes across the country were a national strike and in april 1984 at a special delegate conference at sheffield the num called on all of its members to come out on strike.

In conducting the strike, its federal structure is shown to have provided the union leadership with flexibility. In 19845, mining communities all over britain fought a yearlon. Here youll find current best sellers in books, new releases in books, deals in books, kindle. Lawrence daly, general secretary of the num, forecast that coal stocks would. The article contains interesting information about the strike, its background, the aftermath and its importance to all workers in britain. Margaret thatcher branded the leaders of the 198485 miners strike the enemy. Gascoyne, a forceful 59yearold exfaceworker who swears a lot, was the branch secretary of the national union of mineworkers throughout the strike of 1984 85 and until the pit closed. Examines the financial impact of the strikes held in 19841985 in the mining industries on the national. You can buy a copy from wellred books online bookshop. Jan 04, 2014 london as striking miners challenged her grip on power in 1984, prime minister margaret thatcher secretly considered calling out the british military to transport vital supplies of food and. The num took part in three national miners strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 1984 85. Twenty years after the miners strike of 198485 new class battles are today being prepared. John was a founder member of the communist party of great britain and took an active part in the 1926 general strike.

Apr 05, 2014 the conventional story of the miners strike, which began 30 years ago, is now being challenged. Mick mcgahey, vicepresident of the national union of mineworkers for years until his retirement in 1987 at the age of 62, was probably the last of the genuine reds, but he never hid his. Written 23 years ago and with a new preface, the enemy within is an absolutely essential expose of the role of the intelligence services during the year long 1984 85 miners strike. The silkworm 2014, career of evil 2015 and lethal white 2018. Mr justice nicholls stopped short of ordering the num to ballot its membership, but the men who brought the case say they will return to work on monday. The strike began on 9 january 1972 and ended on 28 february 1972, when the miners returned to. The lessons of the 198485 miners strike in defence of marxism. The miners strike lasted a year and was one of the longest and possibly most damaging industrial disputes ever seen in britain. Since its original publication in 1972, no book has done as much as jeremy brechers strike. Jul 15, 2009 see key moments from the miners strike in south yorkshire, for a year from march 1984. Perhaps because of this, the family moved to cambuslang in search of work, and it was here that mick went to school mick started work at age 14 at the. But num leader arthur scargill decreed that num regions could decide whether or not to strike on an. Shirley dent on how literature reflects the 1984 miners strike. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.

Madeline butterfield, a woman involved in the wapc whose book. There is a prevailing view that arthur scargill, the num national president, called the strike. New documents reveal true extent of miners cooperation with. Miners strike 1984 international communist current. Jan 11, 2007 notes on the miners strike, 19841985 notes on the strike of uk mine workers against closures and to save their union, the num. David edgar looks at the literature of the dispute and explores its legacy. For a year over 100,000 members of the national union of mineworkers, their families and supporters, in hu. He cut his political teeth against the demise of the mining industry in. But it was not the national union of mineworkers that was out to subvert liberty. The lesson of the 1984 miners strike for the working class today is that all unions, with their rule books, their bureaucracy, sectional and corporatist set ups, and relations with the labour party, are part of the state and work against the selforganisation and extension of struggles under the control of workers themselves. Michael heseltine says of the governments war on the num. Covering the years 1969 to 1995, it charts reactions to the pit closures programme of the late 1950s and 1960s and the development of the nums reputation as the union that could topple governments. Fiction or nonfiction, these books are about strikes, work slowdowns, lockouts and related phenomena.

May 09, 2010 ive got a half decent book entitled across frontiers. The miners strike of 198485 will always be remembered in british working. However, during the 19845 miners strike both sides entered the fray unwilling to back down. That is the legacy of the nums strike of 198485, a truly historic fight i have always said that the greatest victory in the strike was the struggle. Apr 01, 2012 in this interview, he talks about the 19841985 miners strike and about the books, if spirit alone won battles.