UK miners' strike (1972) facts for kids

The 1972 UK miners' strike was a big disagreement about pay. It happened between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the government led by Edward Heath. Miners felt their pay had not grown as much as other workers' pay since 1960.

The strike started on 9 January 1972 and ended on 28 February 1972. Miners went back to work after accepting a better pay offer. This was the first official strike by British miners since 1926. However, there had been an unofficial strike in 1969.

Why the Strike Happened

In the late 1950s, cheap oil started to arrive in the UK. This made the coal industry lose money. In 1960, Alf Robens became the head of the National Coal Board (NCB). He decided to focus on the coal mines that produced the most coal.

Over ten years, coal production became much more efficient. But this also meant fewer mines and fewer workers. In 1956, about 700,000 miners produced a lot of coal. By 1971, fewer than 290,000 workers produced less coal. Even with these changes, the NCB was still losing money in 1970. This made it hard for them to offer higher pay to miners.

The strike happened because talks about pay between the NUM and the NCB failed. In 1960, miners had good living standards. Their wages were higher than many other factory workers. But during the 1960s, miners' pay fell behind. By 1970, they earned less than the average factory worker.

This was the first time since 1926 that British miners officially went on strike.

The Strike Begins

During the strike, politicians from different parties praised the miners. They remembered how miners had handled many mine closures in the 1960s.

Mine supervisors and foremen did not join the strike. They were part of a different union. If they faced problems from striking miners, the National Coal Board let them stay home with full pay.

Miners used a tactic called "flying pickets." This meant they traveled to other industrial sites. They tried to convince other workers to stop working in support of the miners. This led to railway workers refusing to move coal. Power station workers also refused to handle coal.

Soon, there were power shortages across the country. On 9 February, the government declared a state of emergency. This happened after the weather turned cold. Electricity voltage was also reduced across the whole country.

A miner named Freddie Matthews was killed on 3 February 1972. He was hit by a lorry while picketing near Doncaster. Many people attended his funeral. The lorry driver was not part of a union. He drove onto the pavement to get past the picket line.

After this death, picketing in the Doncaster area became more intense. There were clashes with supervisors who were still working. A Member of Parliament, Tom Swain, warned of more violence.

The strike lasted seven weeks. It ended after miners agreed to a pay offer on 19 February. This offer came after a big event called the Battle of Saltley Gate. About 2,000 miners went to a coke works in Birmingham. Thousands of other workers from Birmingham joined them.

Some people in the government called the result a "victory for violence." This was because of some clashes between miners and police. There were also reports of stones and bottles being thrown at lorries.

Secret Plans to Break the Strike

The government had a secret plan in Scotland. They wanted to create a volunteer force to break the miners' picket lines. This was revealed later when government papers were made public.

Government workers, police, and local groups worked together on this plan. They wanted to find hundreds of drivers. These drivers would supply coal to power stations during the strike.

A Royal Air Force base was to be used for this group. They planned to have between 400 and 600 trucks and drivers. Fire brigades were also asked to provide off-duty staff. Volunteer groups would help feed the coal convoys. The volunteers' job was to drive in convoys. This would help get coal past the picket lines in Scotland. However, these plans were never used. The strike ended before they were needed.

The Wilberforce Inquiry

The government set up an investigation into miners' pay. It was led by Lord Wilberforce. This inquiry started in February 1972, as the strike was ending. Its report came out a week later.

The inquiry suggested pay increases for miners. Lord Wilberforce defended these increases, which were about a 27% pay rise. He said that mining was a very difficult job. It involved danger, health risks, and uncomfortable conditions. Miners also often lived in isolated communities. Miners wanted a bit more money each week. In the end, they accepted other benefits worth a total of £10 million.

Creating COBR

The government realized it needed to improve how it handled big problems. Its response to the strike was not good enough. Because of this, the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (known as COBR) was created.

COBR helps to organize responses to national and regional crises. It is still used by the British Government today.

See also

• UK miners' strike (disambiguation)