General secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions GAWAIN LITTLE calls for support and participation in the national partnership organised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1926 general strike
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A fight to defend our industry and our communities
Durham Miners Association chair STEPHEN GUY explains how the legacy of the strike lives on in north-east England with the miners’ gala in July and the under-refurbishment ‘Pitman’s Parliament’
Miners banners
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THE miners’ strike of 1984-85 was an industrial dispute often considered a “battle,” involving 184,000 miners, their communities, the state, including most of the British media, the National Coal Board (NCB) and the Tory government, led by Margaret Thatcher.
The dispute was not about pay and conditions but rather a fight to preserve an industry, communities and a way of life. For decades, coalmining in Britain was the backbone of the economy, not least in north-east England, employing hundreds of thousands of people, hence the importance of victory in the struggle.
By any measure, the 1984-85 miners’ strike was a pivotal moment is British history and had no parallel in terms of its duration, size or impact, which continues to endure across many workplaces and communities.
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Women have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike against pit closures, and there’s more to come writes HEATHER WOOD
HEATHER WOOD, national secretary of Women Against Pit Closures charts her journey and the journey mining community women like her, from 1984 to Durham Gala 2024, explaining why this day remains vital for families decades after closures
Durham Miners Association leader ALAN MARDGHUM talks to Ben Chacko about the continued relevance of trade unions, the lacklustre general election campaign, whether we can believe opinion polls and the ‘reprehensible’ North Durham candidate, Luke Akehurst