Miners confront the police at Orgreave (Pic: John Sturrock)
1984
- 1 March
National Coal Board (NCB) announces closure of Cortonwood pit in Yorkshire – miners at the pit walk out - 6 March
Scottish and Yorkshire areas of the NUM make strike official - 12 March
Half the country’s miners are on strike – this rises to over 80 percent over the course of the strike - 15 March
David Jones, miner aged 23, killed while picketing in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire - 29 March
Transport unions ban the movement of coal - 19 April
NUM special conference ratifies strike action - 25 April
Yorkshire miners’ leader Jack Taylor does deal with the ISTC steel union to allow 30,000 tons of steel a week to be produced at Scunthorpe works - 3 May
British Steel use heavy lorries to break picket lines - 12 May
Scottish miners’ leader Mick McGahey agrees to allow normal steel production at Ravenscraig - 14 May
Some 40,000 striking miners march in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire - 23 May
The Aslef and NUR rail unions settle their pay dispute, preventing them striking alongside the miners - 25 May
Scab “working miner” groups emerge with government and business backing - 30 May
Scargill arrested at Orgreave. More than 80 other miners arrested and 62 injured - 15 June
Joe Green, a miner, is crushed to death while picketing at Ferry Bridge power station - 18 June
Second mass picket at Orgreave with 5,000 miners. Official figures show more pickets injured than police for first time. Scargill hospitalised - 27 June
TUC day of action. Some 50 schools take unofficial strike action and over 50,000 people march for the miners - 9 July
Dock strike starts against movement of coal.It is called off after ten days - 14 July
25,000 attend Durham Miners’ Gala - 31 July
High Court fines South Wales NUM £50,000 under anti-union laws – the first time the union is fined under the laws. Labour leader Neil Kinnock says, “The courts will have their way.” - 23 August
Second national dock strike over unloading of coal, lasts over three weeks - 3 September
TUC votes to support miners. This support never materialises - 28 September
Members of Nacods, the pit deputies’ union, vote by 82.5 percent for strike - 24 October
Nacods pit deputies’ leaders call off strike - 26 October
High Court orders the sequestration (seizure) of NUM funds - 2 November
NCB offers miners a back to work cash bonus - 5 November
Neil Kinnock refuses to speak at a series of rallies with Scargill - 21 November
Government cuts supplementary benefits to £16 per week for strikers’ families - 30 November
Courts appoint Herbert Brewer, a Tory Party official, as the receiver to control NUM assets and funds - 5 December
Ian MacGregor announces plans to privatise pits - 7 December
TUC says it will not take action in support of NUM
1985
- 7 January
NCB claim 1,200 miners return to work across country - 24 February
Mass rally in London for the miners sees many arrests - 28 February
NCB head Ian MacGregor pledges that sacked miners will not be re-employed - 2 March
Yorkshire votes to continue strike - 3 March
NUM conference votes 98 to 91 to return to work - 5 March
Miners march back to work. All of Scargill’s predictions about pit closure plans are proven correct in years to come
Follow us
Become a fan
RSS Feed