The Miners Strike Flashcards
What was there an unwillingness to do?
To put further public money into an industry which had little real chance of being able to recover its place in a competitive market.
What was Thatcher’s reasoning for closing down the coal pits?
Her argument was that not to take hard measures when necessary simply delayed the inevitable; it was better to face the situation now and lessen the consequences of closure by large redundancy settlements than pretend things could get better.
What social impacts were the miners’ unions concerned about?
In areas such as south Wales, Yorkshire and Durham, coal was not simply an industry; it was a way of life. Whole communities were dependent on it. If the local mine closed, the local community would cease to exist.
What role did Ian McGreggor play?
He was Chairman of the NCB (the National Coal Board, the body with overall responsibility for running the industry) and an unsentimental Canadian manager, whose remit was to cut out the non-profitable parts of the coal industry.
What role did Arthur Scargill play?
He was the equally uncompromising NUM leader who faced Ian McGreggor. Scargill had brought down Heath in 1974 and was determined to resist pit closures.
How had the government planned for a potential strike?
- They forbade mass picketing
- outlawed the ‘closed shop’, the requirement that all workers in a particular plant or factory had to be union members
- declared industrial action illegal unless the workers had voted for a strike in a formal ballot.
As well as these measures of preparation, what had the government also taken a practical step towards?
The government had also taken the practical step of stockpiling coal and coke at the fuel stations and drafting emergency plans for importing further stocks should the need arise.
When and where was the battle of Orgreave?
June 1984 in South Yorkshire
What did strikers try to prevent at Orgreave?
Strikers tried to prevent coke-filled lorries leaving the Orgreave coking works. An estimated 6000 pickets struggled for hours against some 7000 policemen before finally being overcome.
How many arrests and injuries were there at Orgreave?
There were 93 arrests, and 51 strikers and 72 policemen were injured. Scargill struggled to keep the strike going by his rousing speeches.
Why was Scargill defeated in 1985: Abrasive manner?
His abrasive manner alienated other unions within the mining industry. The notable example was the Nottinghamshire miners who defied his appeals and continued working throughout the strike, preventing it from becoming solid.
Why was Scargill defeated in 1985: Ballot?
His persistent refusal to hold a ballot of the NUM members made it appear that he was undemocratically forcing his union into a strike.
Why was Scargill defeated in 1985: numbers?
Few other trade unions were willing to support the strike
Why was Scargill defeated in 1985: government?
The government, which backed the NCB throughout, had made careful preparations to maintain essential fuel stocks and supplies.
Why was Scargill defeated in 1985: Kinnock?
Party leader Neil Kinnock tried to take a middle path, condemning violence but being sympathetic towards the strikers’ cause. It was unimpressive and did not convince voters that Labour had a consistent attitude to the strike.
