miners' strike 1974 power cuts

Then came the miners' strike of 1974, which clearly showed the stranglehold of the NUM bureaucracy. What could be scarier than the lights going out in a. The Christmas number one in 1973 was the classic Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade and its lyric, "So here it is Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun" captured the national mood. As was the case in the Blitz, people rose splendidly to the occasion and adapted well to the new realities. Two years later in 1974, the threat of a new miners' strike, forced Heath and the Tories to call a general election - which they lost. There had been a widespread unofficial Tories plan revenge ", Comedians made jokes about the situation the country faced. At its 1971 annual conference, the trade union proposed a [Spoiler alert.] 7-8% increases. the National Coal Board and held a national ballot on another strike. In discussion, it was argued that any relaxation which led to increased electricity consumption would represent a major change of policy. The restrictions came into force on 1 January 1974 and On 24 January, NUM members voted overwhelmingly in favour Harlan County, KY, coal miners win affiliation with UMWA union, United States, 1973-1974 Goals The right to form a local of the United Mine Workers (UMW) union. Transport came to a halt, and electrical heating stopped working in many homes -anything that depended on a regular power. The ruling class were visibly shaken. For a whole year, some 170,000 miners, plus the women of the mining communities, battled against everything the . And when it comes (LRB, 6 September) it turns out to be based on a dream world of Medieval armies, guerrilla raids, and edifices being shaken to pieces: an apocalyptic vision, with its own . Alfie you're so cruel, asking us what is was like 'back then' making us feel all ancient! This move had serious consequences for the UKs power Coal was the new gold and it was claimed miners were enjoying historically unprecedented standards of living. "And relatively few jobs had been lost.". Cuts to Save Fuel Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister whose Conservative party was defeated by Mr. Wilson's Laborites in the election last week, had ordered powersaving measures because of. rising unemployment. Miners now into the sixth week of their strike over pay, have been picketing power stations and all other sources of fuel supply in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government. strike stretched into its second month. February 16 1972: On this day power cuts were introduced that meant some parts of the country were without electricity for nine hours a day. With no late-night television people went back to doing things they used to do. Required fields are marked *. The facts must be presented in a low key emphasising the overriding need to meet the fuel shortage. He announced the imposition of a "three-day week" from January 1 for all industries and a 10.30pm shutdown for television except at Christmas. At the time, the government was offering workers Freedom newspaper, for its part, recognised the significance of the workers' ability to "cut off the power".The front cover for January 5th 1974 (Volume 35/1) rather smartly thinks about the multiple meanings of "power", as a cheery looking fella bulldozes the ruling class under the caption "ANARCHISTS DEMAND POWER CUTS". "Match of the day!" Then one day, I went in to M&S and was told I wouldnt be needed any more, as the 3 day week had ended. In 1972 the NUM called a strike for wage increases, after a vote by its members. In an episode of popular sitcom Are You Being Served? Hotels did well too with many people unable to travel home. On December 13 Mr Heath addressed the nation. Tyneside pickets keeping warm during the miners' strike, February 1972 (Image: Mirrorpix) On the home front, television coverage finished at 10.30pm every night - and the screens went blank as the . The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries enforced a boycott of the United States and an embargo on oil supplies to nations perceived as supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War. election of Mick McGahey to vice-president had moved the NUM in a more militant [4], In the aftermath of the vote, there was speculation that the army would be used to transport coal and man the power stations. Rather than risk a total shutdown, working time was reduced to prolong the life of available fuel stocks. Such a policy would be interpreted as an intensified form of Government confrontation with the unions and it would provide a continuing excuse for the TUC to maintain their protests. These included hospitals and supermarkets, along with newspaper printing However, an overtime ban was implemented with the aim of halving production. Meanwhile the Government must go ahead with the arrangements to introduce the three-day working week. Cabinet papers published through the National Archive demonstrate the tricky tightrope the government was walking. But this time was different. The Three-Day Week was one of several measures introduced in the United Kingdom in 19731974 by Edward Heath's Conservative government to conserve electricity, the generation of which was severely restricted owing to industrial action by coal miners and railway workers. 1985: Falklands' row civil servant resigns, 1972: Miners' strike turns off the lights, 1965: Beeching plans for 'bloated' railways. Most of the U.K.'s energy at the time was produced by. [4], Most of the media were strongly opposed to the NUM strike. In 1972 the NUM called a strike for wage increases, after a vote by its members. Tories said they had all the answers?. In 1974 the miners again voted for a national strike and the This caused unrest amongst trade unions as wages did not keep pace with price increases. If. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. on June 11, 2017 The measure aimed to prolong the life of available coal stocks rather than risk a complete shutdown of the nations power supplies. Hitherto the aim had been to restrict consumption to prolong endurance. They returned to work on 25 February among the highest paid in the working classes after a seven week stoppage. In the two days following the Labour's Harold Wilson gave the miners a 29 per cent pay rise. National strikes over wages took place in 1972 and 1974. Even the 2014 Bangladesh blackout, one of the largest ever, which left, [] On Nov. 6, 1972, the British government attempted to place a cap on wages to curb inflation, but this. Find the perfect 1974 miners strike stock photo. [13] The bitter cold of January did not bring the power cuts. The February 1974 general election was dominated by the three day working week and miners' strike as an issue: Heath believed that this was a politically opportune time to hold an election because he thought, broadly speaking, the public agreed with the Tories' hardline stance on the issue of union power and strikes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Post Office began to issue petrol coupons to car owners. I was under 30 and felt very grown-up being responsible for two small lives in medieval cold.". response or perceived lack of response to the Winter of Discontent and to Prime Minister James Callaghan applying for a loan from the International Monetary In November 1973, the national executive committee of the NUM rejected the pay offer from the NCB and held a national ballot on a strike. The strike occurred because wage negotiations between the NUM and the National Coal Board of the United Kingdom had broken down. Some administrative staff had joined another union, APEX, to distance themselves from the increasing militancy of the NUM. slogan Who governs Britain?. Margaret Thatcher, previously Education Secretary, replaced Heath as Conservative party leader. It was the first time. The police were on the lookout for petrol hoarders - with 180 gallons of fuel found in one company director's garage. Our picture shows how one pub, the Novar in Kirkcaldy, continued to serve drinks by candlelight! The film shows striking miners picketing at the colliery and negotiating with the police. following the Winter of Discontent, another period marred by industrial disputes This extended to most industries, including coal mining, which provided the majority of the country's fuel and had a powerful trade union. Throughout the 1970s the British economy was troubled by high rates of inflation. The 1979 General Election campaign was played out in the months Written and directed by Corinna Faith, this film is a real screw-tightener, ingeniously set during the miners' strike in January 1974. I remember it so well, my dad needed to support and feed his family Irish worker who worked in a tyre factory,worked on a pig farm to get pennies, every morning mum woke us up with a candle, no heating, lino floor,burnt slack on the fire, school uniform, tried her best to clean and dry this was in Wolverhampton factory closed,no power, no support from a job centre, didnt exist . It was great fun while it lasted! By Allan Crow Sunday, 13th February 2022, 9:31 am. situation change dramatically. It carried the slogan Remember the last time the [4] Pickets had to wear armbands saying "official picket" and had to be authorised by areas. Why did Thatcher want to close the mines . Coal pits in England and Wales ground to a halt, all 289 of them, with the miners calling for a pay rise of 9 on their wage of 25 a week. Business leaders are again predicting widespread unemployment, severe. Heath declared a three-day week after a series of miners' strikes. In 1984, for reasons which we examine, it had to be miners picketing out miners. Arab countries reduced supplies to the West. The miners picked up the gauntlet and on 1 February 1974 their national ballot returned an 80 percent yes vote for all out strike. [5] To reduce electricity consumption, and thus conserve coal stocks, the Conservative Prime Minister, Edward Heath, announced a number of measures under the Fuel and Electricity (Control) Act 1973 on 13 December 1973, including the Three-Day Work Order, which came into force at midnight on 31 December. Could the Three Day Week happen today? But the public vote went against him resulting in victory for the Labour Party. 'The worst power cuts since the fuel crisis of 1947', declared the Financial Times, which listed firms and industries across the country which were hit by power cuts. [6], On 24 January 1974, 81% of NUM members voted to strike, having rejected the offer of a 16.5% pay rise. and strikes. It came about because of disagreements between the miners and the Government over pay; throughout Britain's industry there was a widespread hostility to the Tories' offers of pay. What Is The Low Frequency Demand Disconnection (LFDD) Scheme? But the situation was already serious enough. "We are asking you to cut down to the absolute minimum the use of electricity in your homes." The ability of the economy to withstand restrictions was a much more critical factor for the endurance of the country than were the fuel stocks. There were signs that many companies, large and small, would soon be in difficulties, and this could have wide repercussions throughout the economy. So I could only work there for 3 days. direction. Taken from John Douglass' Strike, not the end of the story (National Coal Mining Museum for England publications), p.24: The strike began officially on 5 February and, two days later, Heath called the February 1974 general election while the Three-Day Week was in force. Office workers in London attempt to keep warm during the 1974 power cuts. Friday, 4th November 2022See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Grawe, Nathan D. "The three-day week of 1974 and measurement error in the FES and NCDS data sets" (No. Come November, the NUM rejected the latest pay offer from The football authorities asked the government for permission to play matches on Sunday and on January 6, 1974, the first ever Sunday FA Cup games were played. The miners fought on for 11 weeks until they were forced to accept district settlements and wage cuts that ranged between 10 and 40 percent. remained informed of events. We would have candles and mum made us all Bovril to drink. power generation across England and Wales from 1957 until privatisation in the Services deemed essential (e.g. It failed to provide a basis for successfully managing the economy. Submitted by Steven. Fifty years ago this winter, the country faced power cuts, thousands were laid off and life ground to a halt as the miners went on strike. The Edward Heath-led Conservative By staying neutral in the dispute between Israel and the Arab countries, Britain avoided the oil embargo that was imposed on the US and Holland on November 18. The government offered a 7.9% deal - just below its unofficial 8% pay ceiling - but the National Union of Mineworkers refused to put it to the vote. Miners now into the sixth week of their strike over pay, have been picketing power stations and all other sources of fuel supply in an attempt to step up pressure on the Government. Even so, I had a sneaking sympathy for the miners' demands for more money. government refused permission for the US air force to use its military bases. On November 12 the miners and electricity workers began an overtime ban. although the spiralling prices undoubtedly had a knock on effect on the "In terms of comfort we shall have a harder Christmas than we have known since the war," Heath gloomily declared. The three-day week also enabled families to spend more time with one another. Government figures show gas works are within a week of running out of power supplies. January to August 1972. Minutes of Cabinet meeting from 24 January 1974. On 11 February an inquiry headed by Lord Wilberforce (the With the price of coal rising too and stocks dwindling, Britain's miners rejected a pay increase and voted to ballot for a national strike. We would sit around the coal fire and my dad told me fairies lived in it. In response, 111 Labour MPs signed a statement to condemn McGahey. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The war in the Middle East quadrupled oil prices. "As prime minister I want to speak to you plainly about the grave emergency now facing our country," he said. On November 13, the day before the nation celebrated the wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, Conservative prime minister Edward Heath declared a state of emergency. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I was there then. Before World War II, coal mining languished in 84th place on In discussion it was argued that the Government should not appear to use the three-day week as a threat to the unions. "Britain could survive high oil prices for a while. Sales of candles reached an all-time high. by 35%. pressure on the government. Week already into its second month, Prime Minister Heath called a snap election. Labour, the governing party, ran advertising campaigns reminding The Miller leadership had lost a great deal of credibility with rank-and-file miners when it brought back a contract miners felt was substandard following the monthlong strike in 1974a contract that also flew in the face of votes made at the 1974 UMWA convention, the union's first truly democratic convention in decades. Then one day, I went in to M&S and was told I wouldnt be needed any more, as the 3 day week had ended. The blackout winter of 1973 to 1974 showed how well the British could cope in a crisis. This page was last edited on 3 October 2022, at 22:15. The period of electricity rationing lasted for more than two months and played a pivotal role in unseating the British government. A week later the government ordered oil companies to cut deliveries to private and industrial consumers by 10 per cent. The Press has a special feature looking back on how widely the strike impacted on businesses as well as households who stocked up on candles to ensure heat and light. However, . The Sunday Observance Act prohibited the charging of admission for entertainments so clubs got round this by making admission free but only allowing people in if they had paid for a programme.

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