Looking Back - Miners Victory
On this day in 1981, the Conservative government, under Mrs Thatcher, withdrew plans to close 23 coal pits, the first major u-turn since the Government came to power two years earlier. Secretary of State for Energy, David Howell, made the concession after two hours of crisis talks with Department of Trade and Industry Officials. The concession was made in the face of a threat by Unions to call a national miners strike. Mr Howell acknowledged miners concerns about coal imports and subsidies to the National Coal Board. As a result pit closures announced on 10 February were dropped. The Government agreed to reduce coal imports from eight million to five-and-a -half million tonnes over the next year. Joe Gormley, President of the National Union of Mineworkers advised members, the following morning, against a national strike involving 240,000 miners. Some left-wing pits maintained unofficial stoppages and there were pickets outside the NUM headquarters in London. These strikes were called off on 20 February. The Government provided £300m of financial assistance to the industry and prevented official strike action, although pockets of discontent remained. Joe Gormley resigned as President of the NUM in April 1982, to be replaced by left-winger Arthur Scargill. Two years later Mr Scargill led the miners in a year-long strike, the longest ever in the UK, from March 1984 when the Coal Board announced the closure of 20 pits.
On this day in 1981, the Conservative government, under Mrs Thatcher, withdrew plans to close 23 coal pits, the first major u-turn since the Government came to power two years earlier. Secretary of State for Energy, David Howell, made the concession after two hours of crisis talks with Department of Trade and Industry Officials. The concession was made in the face of a threat by Unions to call a national miners strike. Mr Howell acknowledged miners concerns about coal imports and subsidies to the National Coal Board. As a result pit closures announced on 10 February were dropped. The Government agreed to reduce coal imports from eight million to five-and-a -half million tonnes over the next year. Joe Gormley, President of the National Union of Mineworkers advised members, the following morning, against a national strike involving 240,000 miners. Some left-wing pits maintained unofficial stoppages and there were pickets outside the NUM headquarters in London. These strikes were called off on 20 February. The Government provided £300m of financial assistance to the industry and prevented official strike action, although pockets of discontent remained. Joe Gormley resigned as President of the NUM in April 1982, to be replaced by left-winger Arthur Scargill. Two years later Mr Scargill led the miners in a year-long strike, the longest ever in the UK, from March 1984 when the Coal Board announced the closure of 20 pits.
