Why the 1984 miners’ strike began and how it ended

The 1984 miners’ strike in the United Kingdom began as a response to the National Coal Board’s plan to close 20 coal mines, which would have resulted in the loss of thousands of mining jobs. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), led by Arthur Scargill, called for a strike in protest against the closures and to defend the livelihoods of its members.

The strike quickly escalated into a bitter and protracted industrial dispute, with the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher taking a hardline stance against the miners. The police were deployed to break up picket lines and clashes between striking miners and law enforcement officers became increasingly violent.

After nearly a year of strikes and protests, the NUM called off the strike in March 1985, having failed to secure a reversal of the mine closures. The strike had left many miners and their families in financial hardship and the dispute had severely damaged the relationship between the government and the trade unions.

In the years following the strike, the coal mining industry in the UK continued to decline, with many of the remaining mines eventually closing due to economic and environmental factors. The legacy of the 1984 miners’ strike continues to be felt in communities that were once reliant on coal mining for employment and economic stability.