That the Parliament notes that 12 March 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the official start of the 1984-85 miners’ strike; considers that this strike was, without parallel, the most significant industrial dispute since the 1926 general strike; believes that miners took action in defence of jobs, communities and a very way of life; considers that the full force of the state was deployed against the miners and their trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers, but that they stood steadfast for a full year; believes that the strike could not have endured without public support, including from women’s groups, the lesbian and gay community, trade unions and workers across the world; deplores what it sees as the injustices towards miners and their communities during and since the strike; notes the belief that there is continuing need for investment in mining communities, and further notes the call for a public inquiry into the policing of the strike.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Alasdair Allan, Colin Beattie, Stephanie Callaghan, Foysol Choudhury, Jackie Dunbar, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Annabelle Ewing, Christine Grahame, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Fulton MacGregor, Ben Macpherson, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Carol Mochan, Audrey Nicoll, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Elena Whitham