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27: The Miners' Strike The miners' strike started exactly a week after we began our MP12. The railways were not directly involved at that time and didn't become so until March when ASLEF and the NUR along with other unions decided to support the NUM by imposing a block on coal movements. Coalville depot, like many others, was soon in the thick of it. Although the four of us were on our MP12 at Derby we followed developments eagerly. It wasn't just the politics of the strike itself, but we wondered how our mates at the depot would react to being involved. As we talked it over it soon became clear that we were all in support of the strike and greatly admired the miners and their families. Not everyone felt the same, of course, but even those who didn't ought to acknowledge the courage of ordinary working people taking on the might of the Thatcher government. No one had any idea how long it would go on for. Some said it would end in victory for the miners - as it had in 1972 - others said they would get a well-deserved come-uppance. My only memory of the 1972 strike was visiting a sweet shop with a mate whose dad was a striking miner. The shopkeeper, who we knew well, told my pal that his dad should be put against the wall and shot - a vile comment that should never have been addressed to two innocent children. I'd always remembered those words and the way they were said. We were to hear many similar remarks over the weeks to come. Men at our depot knew as far back as 1983 that something was brewing. We couldn't stock up the power stations quickly enough. Drakelow's stockpile was so big that it kept catching fire deep inside due to combustion. Huge earthmovers were brought in to keep moving and spreading the coal about day and night. As space ran out at Rugeley power station the perimeter access road was covered in thousands of tons of coal. It seemed as if a plan was being prepared - a plan for confrontation. In April 1984 the first railwaymen were sent home for refusing or blacking the coal. Some of them would not move a coal train for the rest of the year-long dispute. Donations from organisations and unions in support of the miners were partially used to pay train crews for loss of earnings when they were sent home. BR would not pay for refusal to work. A few drivers and guards decided to work the coal trains. It wasn't really a railway dispute, they said. Anyway, when did the miners ever help the railwaymen, they asked. Where were they in '82 when we needed help and support? Whilst at Derby station one group of Yorkshire miners were collecting donations and outlining their case to the public. We stood and watched for a while, noting that they received more sympathy than scorn. A couple of them came over with a bucket. As we chucked some money in one of them noticed our badges. 'Hey, look lads, they're ASLEF men.' They shook our hands and asked if we were boycotting coal trains too. We explained that we were still training but we made our feelings known. 'It could still be going on a long time after you've finished.' With that one of the miners unpinned his NUM badge and dropped it into my hand, thanking us before disappearing in the crowds. The Derby branch of ASLEF brought in a large box and invited depot workers to bring tins of food for striking miners and their families. One night some spiteful saboteur ripped off all the labels from the tins. At the end of December all the MP12-ers went back to their home depots. Almost immediately I was asked to second man a coal train. My refusal brought scorn to the face of the TCS. 'You're like sheep, you lot, all following the others.' 'You're wrong,' I said. 'We've got minds of our own and we stick to our principles.' 'Right, I can't use you then. See you tomorrow.' This became a regular occurrence. On nights we were regularly stopped by police looking for flying pickets coming down from Yorkshire. Sometimes they simply looked in the car and asked what your business was at such a late hour. When I told them where I worked some got quite obnoxious with me. Coalville depot was well-known for its support of the miners. Signalmen were also blacking coal trains and a local MP even accused one of being mentally unstable for refusing to pull off his signals. Coal bound for hospitals was allowed to travel though. In the Coalville area a small group of miners - known as the Dirty Thirty - stayed out for the duration. They had to put up with considerable violence and abuse from working miners. It was almost as if they were the blacklegs! They sometimes came to meetings or down to the depot and were given a warm welcome by most blokes. A handful of South Derbyshire men also stayed out for the duration, which again was an act of courage in my books. During the first weeks of 1985 the strike began to crumble. We'd stuck by the miners, but were undermined by thousands of greedy lorry drivers. Anything that would carry coal was being used and these trucks thundered through the area day and night for days on end. And so the coal got through. A vote on Sunday 3rd March brought the dispute to an end and two days later they marched proudly back to work beneath their banners. I watched the emotional spectacle on the news before setting off to work for the 14.00 shed. But the bitterness was to linger for a long time. One morning I said hello to one of my favourite old hand drivers. 'You're not supposed to talk to me any more Tony,' he said. He'd moved coal, but only done his basic eight-hour shift and not a minute more. I told him not to be silly. Once he knew I bore him no malice he relaxed. 'Tell you what then, we'll both have placards with GOOD MORNING on them.' We both laughed. There were some drivers I could never fall out with, but some regarded their acts as unforgivable. Later in the year railwaymen from Coalville were invited to Kersley Colliery Miners Club near Coventry. We filled a 52-seater coach and were present to see the unveiling of a painting of a railwayman shaking hands with a miner. Called up onto the stage we were given a standing ovation. The event was charged with emotion, the like of which I'd never experienced before or since. |