coal miners wages 1980s uk coal miners wages 1980s uk

This led to legal action taken by out-of-work non-striking miners against Scargill's illegal strike. One is that the loss of the strike and subsequent loss of mining jobs put families under huge stress, hollowed out communities and replaced the organised working class by an unorganised precariat. In 1978, a strike led by the private trade union of Ford manufacturers achieved a 17% wage increase. Illustrated Police News, 21 September 1878. Around 5,000 picketers matched 5,000 police officers at a British Steel Corporation coking plant in Orgreave, Yorkshire. The children of mining families, brought up during and after the strike, made the fullest use of the expansion of the university sector. As they prepared to march back to work on that frosty morning in March 1985, the men of Grimethorpe Colliery had no idea of the destruction to come. Children challenging educational inequality in England, 1944-1970. In traditionally non-militant Nottinghamshire, many miners resented being strong-armed, as they saw it, into a strike without a ballot. The Miners Strike of 1984-1985 was an attempt by miners to stop the National Coal Board (NCB) and the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher shutting down collieries (mines). How Thatcher broke the miners' strike but at what cost? The pits in the area closed in the 1960s, leaving Cowdenbeath with only an NUM workshop, so that as in County Durham miners from Central Fife travelled to the coastal collieries of Seafield and Frances to work, but the headquarters of the strike and support group remained at Cowdenbeath. Hourly Rate. Wages 1740-1829 as estimated in the way described in Clark and Jacks (2007), assuming the majority of coal miners then 1991: US bombers strike civilians in Baghdad, 2001: Landmark Aids case begins in Scotland, 1975: Miners set for 35 per cent pay rises. The strike ended with the government conceding a 30% wage increase as Britain's energy demands caused national suffering such as blackouts. (comms@history.ox.ac.ukor +44 (0)1865 615000), Personal Circumstances and Contextualisation, Exercise Two - Indigenous Javanese Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, Modern British History 1850 to the present, Modern European History 1850 to the present, MSt in Global and Imperial History since 1400, MSc/MPhil in History of Science, Medicine and Technology, MSt/MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, History Skills Workshops (info for teachers), Ayahs, memsahibs and their children: empire migrants, Boston King and the Black Loyalists of the American Revolution. The UK deep mining industry has now completely disappeared. Strikes have been used by miners as a form of protest for centuries. The Miners' Federation of Great Britain became the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on 1st January 1945. Many other industries joined in solidarity with the miners. Average earnings by occupation and districts. The failure of the 1984-85 miners' strike helped revive the British economy, but had major implications for the future of labor unions and coal mining in Britain. 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. 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. Thousands of miners were arrested, fined, imprisoned or sacked, some never to work again. The 7 longest serving British Prime Ministers, 12 'commoners' who had ceremonial state funerals, Winters of discontent: 6 of the worst winters in British history, 'Just print more money': History's worst cases of hyperinflation, The pagan roots of Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday, Josephine Baker: The iconic performer turned WWII hero. 4. The miners had ceased work in protest of a reduction in their wages. A. Dalziel, The Colliers' Strike in South Wales; p.8, for 1848-71, W.G. Thatcher had taken note of the way the miners had brought down her predecessor and was determined the same thing would not happen to her premiership. This time around the gloves would be off. This act ultimately failed as the TUC refused to cooperate with the measures and increased their opposition. The Miners' Strike of 1984-1985 was an attempt by miners to stop the National Coal Board (NCB) and the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher shutting down collieries (mines). When a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in South Yorkshire occurred on the 6th of March 1984, the Yorkshire branch of the NUM sanctioned a strike across the county. Many miners died prematurely. This is a British social realism film due to its realistic depiction of British people. This wage practice, known as truck or "tommy", spread Economics Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Black Victorians and the Future of Africa, Why was British India Partitioned in 1947? The stalemate produced by Thatchers preparations ground on for a year. Coal Wage Index Average day wages of male coal miners 1830-1869 are given by Church (1986). Everything you need to know about Freedom of Information and how to go about making a request. Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes. What separate event occurred in 1973 that prompted the 1974 Miners' Strike? How many hours did coal miners work? With the decline in the demand for coal, numbers in the industry continued to fall and by the early 1980s membership of the NUM was under 250,000. To this day both sides have their impassioned partisans. The interviews will be archived in due course by the British Library. Estimated $34.8K - $44.1K a year. However, as funds ran dry and families found it harder and harder to put food on the table, destitute miners started to trickle back to work through picket lines where they were branded scabs and sometimes physically assaulted. Roughly how many jobs were at risk when the National Coal Board announced its plans to reduce Britain's coal production by 4 million tonnes in March 1984? The 1970s and 80s saw a sea change in the international coal market. From the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, employment in British coal mining fell from over 700,000 to under 300,000. By 1994, not a trace of the pit existed above ground. and demonstrated his inability to recognise the country's troubles. As far as he was concerned, there was no such thing as an unprofitable pit, and he saw McGregors proposed closures as a way for Thatcher to weaken the NUM, close down far more pits than McGregor was claiming and lead the way to privatisation. It restricted workers' rights to strike by introducing an 'unfair industrial practice' policy. In particular, the miners supporters were outraged by the so-called Battle of Orgreave in June 1984, when mounted policemen charged pickets outside a South Yorkshire coking plant an event that has gone down in political folklore. A hung parliament is when no party manages to win over half the seats in a general election, meaning no one can form a majority government. England 1980s UK HOMER SYKES RM TR9C1E - 3rd March 1985. This report from Dundee Courier found that a miner was charged in contravention of the Moines regulation Act when he recklessly unlocked his safety lamp while working in the mine. Gibson, A compilation of statistics of the coal mining industry . by Abby Lee Hood September 6, 2021 Miners reported that they knew they could rely on their friends and neighbours for support in hard times. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. in the 1870s. Upload unlimited documents and save them online. From an economic and ecological point of view, the answer is yes. Thatcher and the coal miners' strikes in the 1980s, Crime and Punishment in Industrial Britain, Advantages of North and South in Civil War, African Americans in the Revolutionary War, Civil War Military Strategies of North and South, Environmental Effects of The Columbian Exchange, Native Americans in the Revolutionary War, An industrial union of all Britain's coalminers, created in 1945, that represented the miners during the strikes, The government department formed in 1946 that ran Britain's coal industry after it was nationalised, A protest organised by employees in which they refuse to work until their demands are met or negotiated, A line of protesters outside a workplace during a strike, The TUC called a general strike to protest decreasing wages for coal miners and poor work conditions. The social contract was brokered by Harold Wilson's Labour Government to settle the miners' strike after the general election last February and had promised food subsidies and price restraints to the unions in return for pay restraint and co-operation. On 6th March 1984, the NCB planned to reduce Britain's coal production by 4 million tonnes and put around 20,000 mining jobs at risk. What other forms of energy came available in the 1960s besides coal? Furthermore, police officers were drafted in from outside the striking counties, so law enforcement was unsympathetic to the strikers. It stopped when the Butty system ceased Even at this early stage, Scargills cause was probably doomed. https://www.youtube.com/embed/8n8BeD6fkwc?controls=0. In 1972 and 1974, strikes shut down every coal mine in Britain, and a combination of solidarity strikes by the steel and railway unions and targeted picketing of coking works, ports and industrial sites brought the country to a standstill. In the 1970s, the police had treated the miners with kid gloves. The Miners Strike of 1984 was a turning point in British history. 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". British mineworkers' leaders have agreed to accept the coal board's latest pay offer of up to 35%. Down in a coal mine, there's no such thing as a "nine to five." However, there was nothing good about communities being smashed to bits while a government that appeared more interested in the increasing economic success of the south east of England did very little to help them. 89W In 1980, Secretary of State of Industry Sir Keith Joseph appointed a Scottish-American economist Ian MacGregor as head of the nationalised steel industry, British Steel. A 1994 European Union report named Grimethorpe the poorest village in England. 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. In 1870, The Cornish Telegraph published A Miners Song. The strikers would travel around the country to picket workplaces other than their own, thus increasing the impact of the strike. It was suppressed by the government and resulted in the, The NUM and Thatcher negotiated her plans to cut subsidies to coal mining. Children explained how they were fitted with a girdle and chain around their body to pull the coal out of the mine. Scotlands worst mining disaster, which involved my great grandfather might have rated a mention. But Scargill denied that there was such a thing as an uneconomic pit, and argued that every colliery should be kept open, no matter how much it cost. When another miners' strike began in 1974, Mr Heath called a snap general election hoping to rally public support against the miners. Was it a good thing that the miners lost? Many industries took part alongside the miners. Everything you need for your studies in one place. Base. However, Doncaster was the centre of an arc of pits including Bentley Hatfield. They set up support groups to run soup kitchens and put together food parcels for striking miners families, raising money from local pubs and clubs and then further afield, nationally and later internationally. Create beautiful notes faster than ever before. language, region) are saved. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. 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. A miner could also be disciplined for failing to operate his lamp safely. In the 1960s, new, generally cheaper energy sources were being discovered, such as oil, natural gas and nuclear power. 3 Following a question about the so-called Winter of Discontent, James Callaghan reportedly said "Crisis? The strike was officially called to a halt on March the 3rd 1985. The US government's ongoing assault on organized labor through the 1980s and 1990s meant that the mammoth energy conglomerates that dominated the coal industry were free to open non-union mines . An initial search for miners reveals explosions, accidents, and strikes in the vast amount of mines operating across Great Britain. The Great Anthracite Coal Strike started when 147,000 coal miners who were part of the United Mine Workers of America ( UMWA) went on strike in Eastern Pennsylvania from May to Oct. 1902. But the pits in these areas closed in the 1960s and 1970s so that miners travelled from here to the surviving pits on the coast, some of which actually tunnelled under the sea, at Seaham, Easington and Horden. It was surprising to observe the amount of indifference which prevailed among the pitmen as to whether or not they and their families could be turned from their dwellings. Only three years earlier, an explosion at Risca had killed thirty-five employees. At the end of 1981, the miners elected a new leader in the hard-left Yorkshireman Arthur Scargill, who made no secret of his eagerness for a confrontation with the government. But since the 1980s, the coal industry and its workers have been pushed to the periphery with disastrous results for the economic and cultural survival of British mining communities. A whole culture and identity had grown around coal mining, and with the loss of the mine, much of the cultural activities and infrastructure that had grown around it, from brass bands, to working mens clubs to NCB-sponsored sports and leisure facilities disappeared along with it. The 1974 strike was an even more significant blow to the government - let's look at a brief outline of events. Heath's campaign was famous for the phrase 'Who governs Britain: the government or the miners?'. 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. A flying picket was the organised transportation of strikers to strategic workplaces, such as coal processing plants. In 1971, Joe Gormley, president of the NUM, demanded a 43% wage increase for coal miners to counter the Conservative government's offer of a 7-8% increase. The salaries of Coal Miners in the US range from $11,105 to $294,800 , with a median salary of $53,905 . Free and expert-verified textbook solutions. asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as Miners lived scattered across a wide radius and this clearly diminished camaraderie and solidarity. In the former the Swansea, Dulais and Neath Valleys flowed south and west to the coast at Swansea and Neath. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of theTerms and Conditions. However, miners soon faced difficulties: By the end of the 1960s, an unofficial miners' strike in 1969 protested against the unfair working hours of older miners and wage decreases. Coal output also increased to meet the higher production targets set by the NCB. It would take years and millions of pounds of investment before the situation in Grimethorpe was reversed. You can listen to a podcast interview with Dominic about the early 1980s here, Dominic Sandbrook is historian and presenter, and a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, Save up to 49% AND your choice of gift card worth 10* when you subscribe BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed PLUS! Interesting, however only one example is a Scottish one. So, was it a good thing that the miners lost? For the period after the strike two dominant narratives are in tension. Coal was recognised as the country's lifeblood, with many services still requiring steam power and electricity. The 1972 strike was a result of Edward Heath refusing to allow the 43% wage increase the NUM was demanding. This was defined by being a breadwinner, a fighter, and a man who controlled his womenfolk. 8th February 1974: Edward Heath called a snap election in response to continued failed negotiations with the NUM. Logically, coal mining had to go. 1 The 1926 General Strike was coordinated by the Trade Union Congress to protest against miners' wages. By the early 1980s, domestic coal production was becoming ever more unprofitable. In 1984 there were 174 deep coal mines in the UK by 1994 the year the industry was finally privatized there were just 15 left. + 4 more. In South Wales, the initial focus is on Onllwyn, at the head of the Dulais Valley. After 1945, Britain entered a period of economic hardship. Mining had provided generations with a steady income, homes for life and a strong sense of belonging. October 1973: The global oil crisis began - Arab oil-producing countries placed an oil embargo (legal ban on trade) on the United States. Wherever they lived, of course, miners had miners families. The end of the Miners Strike at Selby Coalfield in Yorkshire, England. Bonus. What did Nigel Lawson, Secretary of State for Energy, suggest that aided the government's response to the 1984 Miners' Strike. 1975 1980 Average weekly Average hours Average weekly Average hours wage () worked wage () worked United United United United 1968 SIC Wales Kingdom Wales Kingdom Wales Kingdom Wales Kingdom Food, drink and tobacco 53.00 60.29 43.4 46.2 103.82 115.61 44.2 45.5 Coal and petroleum products 72.46 69.74 41.2 42.6 129.34 136.07 41.4 44.2 Let's look at a brief history of the coal mining community throughout Modern British history. Each testimony is different but patterns emerge in their biographies. Following a question about the so-called Winter of Discontent, James Callaghan reportedly said "Crisis? Average UK salary data by age group for the years 1980 to 1996 are available on our website at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/adhocs/006810newearningssurveynesagegroupgrossweeklyandhourlyexcludingovertimedata. The full force of the police, the courts and the media were mobilised to defeat the miners, culminating with the battle of Orgreave on 18 June 1984. This Department does not have precise information about the numbers of workers in each of the categories shown. The miners an all-male occupation were powerfully backed by their wives, who saw clearly that without the pits there was little hope for their childrens future or the viability of the mining community. In 1971, Heath introduced the Industrial Relations Act - what did this entail? When Mr. Manchin, a Democrat and one of the chamber's swing votes, came out against Mr. Biden's $150 billion clean electricity program in October, his move effectively killed what many . View. The third difference was the Thatcher factor. There was also criticism of police action at the Battle of Orgreave in June 1984 where policemen were caught on camera seemingly using excessive force against strikers. This turnaround in steels fortunes made it possible for Thatcher to privatise the industry something she also had in mind for coal. 5 The police force was integral in dealing with the 1984 Miners' Strike when conflicts arose. Fig. There is an understanding among workers that . Three months of negotiations with the National Coal Board ended in deadlock four days ago with an offer. The strike was the miners main weapon, and immediately provoked confrontation with employers, who were also ready to use the lockout to break miners resistance. We found numerous cases of miners strikes due to a reduction in wages. 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. Miners waiting to start their shift at the Virginia-Pochahontas Coal Company mine near Richland, Virginia, in 1974. Sources. 3.8. The female body through the ages - do necks have a history? asked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the basic wages and overall pay of unskilled and skilled miners for 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973. Miners forged their sense of themselves as the shock troops of the Industrial Revolution. After coming to power in 1979, she had her ministers and civil servants draw up secret plans that would keep coal moving around the country were the miners to attempt another strike. That way, he would still get a strike without having to run the risk of a national ballot. In the media, the striking miners, working miners and the police were cast as little armies sweeping backwards and forwards across the countryside. (Jack Corn/EPA) Appalachian coal production has been on shaky ground almost since the industry's inception in the mid 19th century. You could write several books about the 19C coal miners, and related subjects. It should be noted that the NES data are provided for gross weekly pay and gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) only. Fig. They created an Emigration Fund to reduce the number of excess labourers and they provided assistance to West Moor Miners who were on strike to resist a reduction in their wages. Police from outside affected counties were bussed in to prevent picketing and strike action, and to ensure no disruption to supply lines. Did the Hundred Years War against France strengthen a sense of English national identity? When negotiations failed, Gormley called for the 1972 UK Miners' Strike. or Butty who had agreed to get coal for a fixed price per ton. How was James Callaghan ousted as Prime Minister in 1979? [1] Without coal during the . Police Clashing with Miners During the 1984 Strike. It also became cheaper to import coal from countries such as Poland and Australia rather than mining it in Britain. You can. Crime increased by 30%. This Department does not have precise information about the numbers of workers in each of the categories shown. It had all been for nothing. This would lead to bitter tussles between miners who carried on working throughout the strike and pickets who were quick to label strikebreakers scabs. As the centuries continued, the populations dependence on coal increased and more mines were opened, but it was during the industrial revolution that coal mining burgeoned. It now had a membership of 533,000. Especially, during times of protests and strikes. In Scotland, the focus will be on the town of Cowdenbeath in Central Fife, known as the Chicago of Fife, in turn at the heart of a series of mining villages such as Limphinnans, Kitty, Lochgelly and Lochore, which had the reputation of being little Moscows because of the strength of the Communist party there in the 1920s and 1930s. Thatcher appointed the ruthless Ian McGregor to the head of the National Coal Board in 1983. The origins of the strike lay in the gradual rundown of the British coal industry, with the workforce falling from a peak of more than 1 million between the world wars to barely 200,000 at the start of the 1980s. Although the strike was over, the scars never went away. $30.30. This period came to be known as the "Winter of Discontent", spanning the winter months between 1978 and 1979. When groups of strikers travel to picket different workplaces. You can unsubscribe at any time. The strike officially ended on 3 March 1985. Youve accepted all cookies. Here, however, the pit closed in 1962 so the miners worked further afield, down the Dulais Valley to Blaenant and Treforgan collieries, into the Swansea Valley at Abernant or over to Aberpergwm in the Neath Valley. The 1980s and 1990s saw much change in the coal industry, with privatisation, the industry contracting, in some areas quite drastically. An additional law passed by the Conservative government as part of their strategy for handling a strike was the 1980 Employment . But this time was different. A reporter for the Dublin Evening Mail was amazed that even in the face of eviction the workers still held their convictions. Most pickets throughout the strike were non-violent. and demonstrated his inability to recognise the country's troubles. A settlement was reached when the coal board added an extra pound to wage rates after. Coal mining jobs - Hours and earnings, 1919-1933; Coal mining wages by state, 1923 A minority government is formed after unsuccessful coalitions - the party with the most seats controls the government but has difficulty passing legislation. First, the miners were divided. Sheffield, in the south, was the national headquarters of the NUM but mainly a steel town and a cosmopolitan regional capital, a focus for activists who supported the Miners Strike rather than of miners themselves. This meant that, unlike in 1972 and 1974, there would be no power cuts and no forcing the governments hand to come to the negotiating table. Total Pay. Published by Gomer Press, 1987 (3rd Impression 1992) Welsh Teaching History Materials; a project funded by the Welsh Office Education Department and based at University College, Swansea. A number of lawsuits were brought against South Yorkshire police and eventually they were forced to pay out compensation.