WeX Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 WILL THIS DO - I WAS IN MY EARLY 30s WHEN THAT OLD BAT WAS IN OFFICE Union of Democratic Mineworkers. Seven years passed. Seven years during which, in conditions of general mass unemployment, the majority of British coal mines were shut down. Once the NUM had been defeated the Government was able to do as it liked.That was the point. There were 170 collieries in Britain in March 1984. Eight years later, 97 pits had been closed. 25 pits closed in 1985, the year of the NUM’s defeat. Notts pits too. In the six years after 1985, 12 out of the 25 Notts pits were closed down. Even so, there were no compulsory redundancies. Notts miners prospered, secure and earning well. Until 1992. Then Roy Link and his followers were seized with rough hands and made to learn what their real place in the world was. In October, 1992, the Government announced that a further 31 pits would close, with a loss of 30,000 jobs. It was the final death-blow to the industry. And Nottinghamshire? During the strike, none were more special than the Notts “working miners”; and Roy Lynk had been the extra-special leader of this “special breed of men”. But now there would be no special treatment for the former scabs. Three pits of the remaining 13 were to close in 1992. Seven more Notts pits would close between 1993 and 2004. The pampered, tit-bit fed, pet workers’ leader, and his followers, having served their purpose, got no better treatment than Scargill and the defeated NUM miners had had. The savage ingratitude of it, the treachery, the casual breaking of promises that had been solemnly given when the Government needed strikebreakers — it was all so gross that there was a big public outcry against the proposed pit closures. To no avail. Thatcher, with the help of the UDM had already destroyed the miners’ power of collective resistance. The UDM was helpless. So, in terms of effective action, was what was left of the NUM. Roy Lynk was reduced to staging a one-man stay-down protest, skulking at the bottom of a coal pit due for closure! (NUM people said he wanted to avoid facing his dupes and fellow-scabs of 1984-5, for a while…) He must have pondered bitterly on the changes seven years had brought. The Notts scab miners had listened to the press, the politicians and the scab-herders, and sided with the Government against the rest of the miners. They had heard with hostility and contempt, or refused to hear at all, the great socialist truths about the capitalist world we live in, the truths, which the NUM fought for and lived by for 13 heroic, magnificent months in 1984-5. denlin, Thanks for the info but it doesn't appear to back up your claims that: the Nottinhhamshire miners betrayed their own and regretted afterwards because they were some of the first to lose their jobs, some loyalty that old bat showed. From what you have written, the Nottinghamshire minors remained working for a further 5-8 years after the yorkshire pits where closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe-b-1 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Won't we all? Personally, I'm looking forward to Scargill popping his clogs. The Veuve remains on ice... Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android I think Arthur will live long enough to join the queues waiting to defe.. err satura... err uri.. err I mean "decorate" her grave. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Green Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 In the period 1985 to 1992, collieries in both Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire were closed. Come the pit closure programme of 1992, there were about the same number of mines in both areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denlin Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I think Arthur will live long enough to join the queues waiting to defe.. err satura... err uri.. err I mean "decorate" her grave. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Well said I'll be there to dance on it, but I think I'll wait till they've filled it in:hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeX Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 In the period 1985 to 1992, collieries in both Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire were closed. Come the pit closure programme of 1992, there were about the same number of mines in both areas. Are you sure? Going by Nottingham's Uni webpages on the subject, 2 mines closed in 1985, with the rest closing between 1989 and 2000. One mine is still in operation today in Thoresby operated by UK coal. This doesn't seem to back up denlin's earlier comments that the minors in Nottighamshire were some of the first to lose their jobs. On this subject, I've heard that Harworth is being mothballed soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Are you sure? Going by Nottingham's Uni webpages on the subject, 2 mines closed in 1985, with the rest closing between 1989 and 2000. One mine is still in operation today in Thoresby operated by UK coal. This doesn't seem to back up denlin's earlier comments that the minors in Nottighamshire were some of the first to lose their jobs. On this subject, I've heard that Harworth is being mothballed soon. I know you're not from these parts but for God's sake it's minErs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Tamudo Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Are you sure? Going by Nottingham's Uni webpages on the subject, 2 mines closed in 1985, with the rest closing between 1989 and 2000. This may help. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3500979.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 This may help. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3500979.stm Alright pal I remember posting that link when I was arguing with another of the amnesiac Tories ages ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Green Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Are you sure? Going by Nottingham's Uni webpages on the subject, 2 mines closed in 1985, with the rest closing between 1989 and 2000. One mine is still in operation today in Thoresby operated by UK coal. This doesn't seem to back up denlin's earlier comments that the minors in Nottighamshire were some of the first to lose their jobs. On this subject, I've heard that Harworth is being mothballed soon. I did'nt say how many Nottinghamshire mines had closed between 1985-1992, only that mines in both areas had closed during the period. The definitive list is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3500979.stm This shows mines in Nottinghamshire closing in every year during the period 1985-1992 inclusive. More Yorkshire pits did close, but that is to be expected as there was more of them. On the subject of Harworth, this has been mothballed for some years already. It is UK Coal's intention to reopen it at some point. EDIT: Thanks to Stan Tamudo for beating me to it with the above link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeX Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 This may help. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3500979.stm Great thanks for the list. Very useful in a discussion like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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