The Miners Strike 1984 Essay - 501 Words

Throughout the century British coal had become increasingly costly and difficult to mine. Nationalization in 1948 had not altered this. Indeed, there was a case for saying that lack of government investment since that date had added to the problem. For some time Britain had been importing coal from abroad. With the exception of few pits producing particular types of coal, British mines by the 1970s were running at loss. When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister the first thing she wanted to do was limit union power. She felt that union power applied to nationalized industrial monopolies resulted in poor service at exorbitant cost to the taxpayers. She pointed to inefficient work practices, over employment and restrictive employment†¦show more content†¦Thatcher reduced trade union power. She was helped also by rapidly rising unemployment which acted as a major disincentive to many going on strike or pressing to hard for higher wages. The trigger for Britains most bitter industrial dispute of recent times was the announcement that one Yorkshire pit, Cortonwood near Barnsley, was to close, all over Yorkshire walked out, not realising that it would be a year before they returned. Whereas previous coal strikes had been over in a matter of weeks, this time both union and government dug in for a lengthy battle. In the end, the biggest losers were ordinary miners. However there was a strong counter argument advanced by the miners union and the other analysts. They suggested that with a proper investment programme backed by a genuine government commitment to coal as a long term power source, large parts of the British coal industry still had a profitable future. The social consequences of widespread pit closures would be catastrophic. The impact of the strike was much wider than just in the mining industry and the regions: the scenes of violence between strikes and police regularly seen on television shocked the nation and divided public opinion. Polls suggested that 65% of the people supported the government and the police 35% of the miners. social commentators suggested that the violent clashes that frequently accompanied the strike stimulated a general strikeShow MoreRelatedMaking Difficult Decisions1108 Words   |  5 Pagesfilms where the characters have hard decisions to make. Billy Elliot is a film about Billy, an 11-year-old boy who lives with his father, brother and Nan (grandmother). The film takes place in â€Å"Everington† in the UK, from 1984 to 1985 which was in the middle of the UK miners strike. The main conflict of the film is that Billy wants to be a ballet dancer. His father on the other hand, would rather have his son doing what every other boy at the age of 11, which is boxing. However, Billy ´s father comesRead MoreAnalysing Gender Roles in Billy Elliot1306 Words   |  6 PagesAnalyzing Gender roles in Billy Elliot Billy Elliot, directed by Stephen Daldry, is a film taken place in England during the mining workers riot. Set against the background of the 1984 Miner s Strike, Billy Elliot is an eleven year old boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family s set ways, inner conflict, and standing on his toes!. Between Billy and his family the relationship is Read MoreEssay on The Concept of Citizenship1014 Words   |  5 Pagesnumber of acts such as the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829. Slavery was abolished in 1839. Sex Discrimination Acts were passed in 1975 and 1987. The first Race Relations act was passed in 1976. The Data Protection Act was passed in 1984. 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Philo’s argument was that the ‘hegemonic operation of power and authority was able to manipulate the publics understanding of the strike’ (Stevenson 2002:86). He demonstrated thi s by asking people to create a news bulletin from the pictures given, finding a strong correlation with the miners and a picture of a gun. Even those sympathetic to the miners associated the gun with the miners. Philo and Morley’s studies ‘are unableRead MoreQueen Victori The Longest Serving Monarch Of The United Kingdom1212 Words   |  5 Pageselected the leader of the Conservative Party in 1975. During her time as prime minster, Thatcher put the Falkland Islands under British rule, after defeated Argentina. She also forced miners back to work with no pay during the Miners’ Strike of 1984 and signed a treaty about the future of Hong Kong with the Chinese in 1984. Thatcher was given the nickname â€Å"Iron Lady† because of her leadership style. She left office in 1992. Margaret Thatcher died on April 8, 2013 at the Ritz Hotel in London because ofRead MoreEssay On Margaret Thatcher1700 Words   |  7 Pagesdecision to hold for a year, between March of 19 84 and March of 1985, a strike of the mining that put the country in check. It ended up defeating the unions that lost all their power, this movement was a political strike, that resulted in an importance that transcended in the economic sphere of the country. From 1972 to 1985 Britain was governed only with the consent of the trade unions. No government could really survive a major strike, especially a strike from the mining union, let alone emerge victoriousRead MoreEffects Of Mrs. Thatcher s Policies On The Coal Mining Communities Of South Wales2726 Words   |  11 Pagesaccommodate the needs of the whole community for their economic and emotional survival, as all were in a similar position and even more so, they knew the associated risks with mining coal. In this sometimes, life and death working environment, the miners and their families would go on to create a community that was ‘solidly bonded’ by a single cause. This bond for all intents and purposes was viewe d as, being a place where all were in harmony, a place which had learnt to look after itself and wasRead MorePolitical Economy and the Propaganda Model of Noam Chomsky2792 Words   |  12 Pages1979 - the leftist  Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional  (FSLN/Sandinistas) rolled into Managua, Nicaragua leader of the insurrection that had finally succeeded in overthrowing the dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle.  Then there was the election in 1984. The American coverage for the elections in Nicaragua and el Salvador are a key aspect which Chomsky and Herman cover in Manufacturing Consent, and one which Chomsky spoke of on many occasions. The media covered both elections in both countries simultaneouslyRead MoreDue 11Th January.To What Extent Are We Influenced By The1537 Words   |  7 Pageswomen. Further influence from the media can be seen in the 1984 miners’ strike, renamed the ‘battle of Orgreave’. Sympathisers who rejected the ideological message, that the minors were violent, had no support from media out lets as it was those in power, i.e. the police, who were responsible for the brutality. This relates back to vertical and horizontal integration, as the media had been controlled. Those who had not experienced the strike first hand described it as violent, as that was all that