At the height of the 1984/85 Miners' Strike Stewart MacKinnon from Trade Films interviews Arthur Scargill, President of the National Union of Mineworker’s (NUM) from their headquarters in Sheffield about the ongoing dispute. Issues discussed include the use of both the media and the law to restrict and distort the union and its struggles. However, high praise is given to the international support the NUM have received from trade unionist around the world as well as the efforts of both...

At the height of the 1984/85 Miners' Strike Stewart MacKinnon from Trade Films interviews Arthur Scargill, President of the National Union of Mineworker’s (NUM) from their headquarters in Sheffield about the ongoing dispute. Issues discussed include the use of both the media and the law to restrict and distort the union and its struggles. However, high praise is given to the international support the NUM have received from trade unionist around the world as well as the efforts of both women support groups and young miners who have both faced hardship and violence from the establishment and state. Title: Arthur Scargill Title: 21st November 1984 Sitting at a conference table with the Sheffield skyline in the background, Arthur Scargill begins this discussion by saying he believes there is an erosion of civil liberties and human rights in Britain in a way no one could have contemplated. He sees the country as living an ‘Orwellian nightmare’ with people being restricted in their movements. We’re not talking about South Africa, he concludes, but Britain in 1984. Arthur continues by saying he believes that miners and their families are becoming more politically aware of the wider issues of problems withing black and Asian communities that have had to endure as a result of police harassment. They now understand what it feels like to be excluded and put into a race apart because of what the media and establishment have brought to bear against them. Arthur believes the National Union of Mineworker’s (NUM) have for the first time challenged the economic and political system that believes it has a right to destroy a man or woman’s job and in the process destroy their communities. Miners are beginning to understand they are challenging the heart of the system that has had a profound impact on mining communities, that example and experience is going to transmit itself. Title: Forces Against Us For the first time in 60-years, explains Arthur, there are soup kitchens in many mining communities. This, he believes, is an indication of what the state machine is prepared to inflict in its determination to push forward its monetarist policies. The dispute isn’t about economics rather politics. Arthur believes that the most important lesson of the strike is that miners and their families have found themselves and discovered an inner strength and quality of life in coming together in a community to provide resilience. Title: Law Arthur states that there is significance in the fact that they [Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government] have tried to use every piece of legislation against the unions, subjecting them to the almost unprecedented weight of the state machine. They have used both the police and the law courts in a ruthless fashion with the object being to render the union inoperable. Arthur believes that measures used by the Conservative government to take £15 a-week from striking families is a clear demonstration of their desire to starve miners into submission. However, no one should have been surprised by this move as it was part of the Ridley Plan set up following the 1974 miners’ strike to deprive strikers and their family’s financial assistance. Although the union lawyers are contesting this decision, Arthur doesn’t believe any judge would side with them but instead find a loophole to state that even though union funds have been sequestered and can’t be used, as far as the law is concerned striking miners at still getting £15-a week union strike pay. Regarding the law Arthur believes that miners and their families have demonstrated that whatever laws the Tory government passes, they are still prepared to stand up and fight for what is right. This he believes is the most important law of all as it dictates from both a moral and justifiable point of view. Looking back, it should be remembered that if the Suffragettes, the Tolpuddle Martyrs or Chartists had respected the laws of the day then none of the advances we talk about now would have been possible. He believes that anyone in the trade union movement who is prepared to accept the silver coins of Thatcher’s government with regards individual ballets proposed under new legislation are betraying and prostituting the beliefs of those who built the movement. Democratic reform is not achieved because of the benevolence of the state, it is built of the bloodshed of those who built the movement and Arthur isn’t prepared to standby and sacrifice what they have fought for. Title: Order Arthur talks about what he saw at Orgreave as having no place in a so-called democracy. He believes it staggered the nation and will have a profound impact on the police and members of the trade union movement. It is the first time that a national riot police force was put into action to preserve the capitalist system without compunction or compassion to batter young miners to the ground with their truncheons. Continuing to talk about Orgreave, Arthur believes it is nonsense the arguments set out by the British Steel Corporation, the government or police that it was about getting coke away from the plant, rather it was a staged manged battle and confrontation with the trade union movement. There were 10,000 picketers and 8200 police and what took place resembled a Medieval battle. The big difference was that while the police were armed with shields, truncheons, horses and all the modern equipment deployed by police forces across Britain, the picketers, whose average age was twenty-five, were dressed in t-shirts, jeans and plimsoles. This couldn’t have been a more unequal battle, but he is proud of the lads and lasses who fought over five days to fight for the right to talk to workers who were deliberately violating picket lines established by the NUM and the Transport and General Workers Union. Arthur concludes this part of the interview by remembering what happened to him on the third day at Orgreave’s being laid unconscious after being struck on the back of the head by a policeman’s riot shield wheeled against him with viciousness. Other details of the event and consequences are provided. Title: Media Arthur has seen time-and-time again the media presenting arguments on behalf of the National Coal Board (NCB) that seldom reflects anything other than the establishment views. In comparison Arthur states that filmed interviews with both the BBC and ITV have been mutilated and a distortion of union representation. Arthur believes it is time for the Labour movement to take up the challenge and put forward its own demand and be given access to television. If the media have nothing to hide, what is wrong with the NUM being given a 15-minute television spots a week to present its own views their way and on its own terms. Arthur believes that the long-term answer is for the Labour movement to have its own newspaper and to gain as a matter of right access to the media so they can present their own case and not be reliant on questions being posed. Arthur gives as an example a recent ITV programme where issues of what he sees as unconscious bias within the media have risen. The tragedy he concludes is that those in charge of the programme were convinced in their own minds that they were being fair which was further from the truth. Title: Support Arthur explains there are many reasons why there isn’t 100% solid support for the strike, but believes that the question of individual ballet is a myth and should be laid to rest. He talks about the 1926 General Strike in which Nottinghamshire miners split away from the union which is being repeated today. Arthur continues by saying that even with all the setback, disappointment and problems this all pales into insignificance when considering that this is the longest trade union strike on a national basis with the same 140,000 miners on strike nine-months into the dispute as when it started all fighting for the right to retain jobs, pits and mining communities. You can’t underestimate the amount of courage, determination and strength. Arthur goes onto talk about the degree of co-operation and solidarity internationally is without president. He believes it is not just that the cause is just, but that trade unionist from around the world can identify with the struggles of British miners to save jobs, pits and mining communities. 50% of all donations received come from abroad. Arthur provides examples of the help that has been given from Australia, German and the Soviet Union. On the issue of accepting Soviet money, he points out that he also accepts money from trade unionists in America. Seeing the deprivation and soup kitchens around the country he would be happy to accept any money from trade unionists readily and immediately. Arthur continues to talk about the support that has been given by ethnic minorities which while unexpected by some trade unionists is most welcome. He believes that the thousands of pounds and tons of food donated by both black and Asian communities has built bridges that will prove unbreakable in the future. His members are deeply appreciative and will be forever grateful. Title: Lessons Arthur believes it is the responsibility of the unions to ensure the phenomenal energy created during the dispute is not dissipated. He believes there are also a number of tasks that need to be done beginning with healing the deep divisions within the NUM and to channel the energy of the union into a positive fashion as be able to respond to other industrial disputes in the same way that other unions responded to them. He also believes the union also need to respond to attacks on social wages, fight for the nurses and to fight for an improvement in the quality of life. It also needs to convince younger miners to challenge the system with issues such as military spending and nuclear energy. In finishing his interview Arthur acknowledges and salutes the magnificent work done by both the women’s support groups as well as the young miners as the finest examples of trade unionism and equality, all working to win a better system and improve the quality of life. Title: It cost the government £5 billion to defeat the miners. Losses to electricity industry £2.2 billion, losses to coal industry £1.2 billion, losses to British Steel £180 million, lost income tax £290 million, Net Police costs £200 million, Social Security payments £50 million Title: ‘The Strikers Tale' sung by Jack Purdon courtesy of Which Side Records Credit: Camera Peter Woodhouse Sound David Eadington VT Engineer Brian McEvoy VT Editor John Adams [Director Stewart MacKinnon] Title: A Trade Films production Title: Distributed by Northern Film and TV Archive End title: Trade Films is an ACTT licenced workshop, financed by Channel 4, BFI, Tyne and Wear