The 1984-1985 miners’ strike marked one of Britain’s most bitter industrial conflicts. It erupted after the National Coal Board, under the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, announced plans to slash national coal production and shut down twenty mines, costing 20,000 jobs. Towns and villages across the United Kingdom, heavily reliant on these mines for employment, faced severe hardship and the loss of their communities.

By the early 1980s, coal mines were already struggling financially. The Government’s announcement exacerbated the situation, leading to growing discontent. Calls for strikes had been brewing since the successful labour actions of the 1970s. In March 1984, miners in Yorkshire initiated strike action, prompted by the impending closure of Cortonwood Colliery in South Yorkshire, leading the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to declare a nationwide strike on 12th March, albeit without an official vote.

Anticipating the strike, the Government had stockpiled six months’ worth of coal. They also prepared through the National Recording Centre (NRC), established by the Association of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales (ACPO) in 1972, to coordinate police response and manage protests, including dealing with flying pickets. This is the story of that strike:

1984

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), led by Arthur Scargill, called for a nationwide strike in response to the National Coal Board’s (NCB) announcement of plans to close numerous coal mines, resulting in significant job losses within the industry.

Picket Line (c) Credit Ross Williams courtesy of National Coal Mining Museum

March: This month saw the escalation of the miners’ strike, with South Wales miners initially showing limited support, as only ten out of 28 pits voted in favour of strike action. However, on the 11th of March, the arrival of flying pickets in South Wales rapidly expanded the strike’s reach. The following day, Arthur Scargill declared a national strike without conducting a formal ballot, marking a significant turning point in the dispute. Throughout the month, violent clashes between pickets and law enforcement escalated, while the Thatcher Government initiated coal stockpiling measures to mitigate potential supply disruptions. Tragically, on the 14th of March, Wakefield miner David Jones lost his life on the picket line in Ollerton Nottinghamshire. Despite these events, several areas continued to vote against strike action in local ballots. 

April: In April, the Women Against Pit Closures movement became a force to be reckoned with as women united in local communities to support striking miners’ families. The momentum continued into the next month with a powerful rally in Barnsley, drawing approximately 5,000 women. Subsequently, they convened a conference, and later in the summer, orchestrated a poignant protest march in London, where over 23,000 women took to the streets of the capital in solidarity.

 Women Against Pit Closures (c) Ken Wilkinson courtesy of National Coal Mining Museum

Summer: As the strike progressed, tensions escalated between striking and non-striking miners and the police, particularly at picket lines. Yorkshire, along with Nottinghamshire and South Wales, became a focal point for sometimes violent clashes. Two incidents inflamed the tensions even further. 

On 15 June, tragedy struck at Kellingley Colliery in Yorkshire when Joe Green, a miner on the picket line, lost his life. A lorry, attempting to enter the pit, mounted the pavement and fatally struck him.

Brian, Paul and Denice Gregory watching Channel Four News Cuba Street. Easington Colliery. (c) Keith Pattison

Just three days later, the infamous Battle of Orgreave unfolded. Approximately 5,000 pickets congregated outside Orgreave Colliery, aiming to obstruct the passage of coal-laden lorries entering the plant and coke departing from it. Responding to the scene, around 5,000 police officers equipped with riot gear, mounted police, and dogs arrived to dismantle the picket line. What ensued was a violent clash between the two sides. In the chaos, fifty-one picketing and seventy-two police officers sustained injuries. Following the altercation, ninety-three miners were arrested and faced charges of rioting, marking a distressing escalation in the tensions.

Autumn: The legality of the miners’ strike was called into question due to the absence of a national ballot among NUM members. Following this ruling, a gradual return to work began among some miners.

In November, a tragic event added to the toll of the strike. Paul Holmes, 15, and his brother Darren, 14, were killed when an embankment collapsed on them at the pit village of Goldthorpe, near Barnsley. They were collecting coal which they were planning to sell for pocket money. Local residents and the emergency services tried to dig the boys out. They both died as a result of their injuries.

1985

January: Despite the winter months and mounting pressures, the strike continued into the new year. Yorkshire miners, along with those in other coal-producing regions, remained committed to their cause, despite the challenges they faced.

Easington Colliery Club. Marilyn Johnson serving lunch during the school holidays (c) Keith Pattison

February: As the strike entered its eleventh month, the NUM leadership faced growing criticism and internal divisions over its handling of the dispute. Many miners, disillusioned by the lack of progress and facing financial hardship, began to return to work without a settlement.

March: On March 3rd, the NUM officially called off the strike, effectively ending one of the longest industrial disputes in British history. However, the return to work was not uniform, with some miners remaining on strike while others reluctantly resumed their jobs in the face of dwindling support and mounting debts.

Easington Miners’ Welfare Hall. Lodge Meeting to vote for an end to the strike with no agreement (c) Keith Pattison

Aftermath: The strike’s legacy looms large over Yorkshire and other mining communities, with profound economic, social, and political consequences. Many pits, unable to recover from the strike, were closed permanently, leading to widespread unemployment and the decline of traditional mining towns and villages. Communities were lost and the impact on post-industrial towns and villages is still being felt today. 

The 1984/85 miners’ strike remains a defining moment in British labour history, highlighting the enduring resilience and solidarity of working-class communities in the face of economic hardship and government policies. The tragic deaths, along with the violent clashes at Orgreave, serve as stark reminders of the human cost of the dispute and the deep divisions that characterised the strike.

by John Heywood

Main image courtesy of NCMME