Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The miners' strike of 1984–1985 is regarded as the most bitter industrial dispute in British history. Thousands of people collected food and money, joined picket lines and demonstrations, organised meetings and travelled to mining areas. Britain was divided between those who supported the miners and those who didn’t. The NUM was divided over the action, which began in Yorkshire, and many mineworkers, especially in Nottinghamshire, worked through the dispute. Violent confrontations between pickets and police characterised the year-long strike, which ended in a decisive victory for the Conservative government and allowed the closure of most of Britain's collieries. Some have argued it has no real parallel – in size, duration and impact, and that it’s defeat brought to an end class politics in the UK.
This short film forms chapter 9 of the award winning film the UK Solidarity Story.
The miners' strike of 1984–1985 is regarded as the most bitter industrial dispute in British history. Thousands of people collected food and money, joined picket lines and demonstrations, organised meetings and travelled to mining areas. Britain was divided between those who supported the miners and those who didn’t. The NUM was divided over the action, which began in Yorkshire, and many mineworkers, especially in Nottinghamshire, worked through the dispute. Violent confrontations between pickets and police characterised the year-long strike, which ended in a decisive victory for the Conservative government and allowed the closure of most of Britain's collieries. Some have argued it has no real parallel – in size, duration and impact, and that it’s defeat brought to an end class politics in the UK.
This short film forms chapter 9 of the award winning film the UK Solidarity Story.
