The Miners Strike

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: The Miners Strike

This is such a crass comment.
The bottom line is, yes it's about economics.
Remember that in South Wales, a good proportion of miners were men who had moved from the West Country to find work and for years were paid better that farm workers. Sure, the owners made money, but the miners earned a living too - better than they had.
Out of work miners after the strike were helped financially. They weren't left entirely in the lurch.
And your mindset is entirely anti-Thatcher.
I didn't and don't support her, but I know that much of this trouble was stirred up by Scargill and his red cohorts who had their own agenda and used their union members as pawns in their political game. How much of the woes of the miners and their families can be laid at Scargill's door?

What part of my comment is crass ?

You think Thatcher wasn't politically motivated ?

You think she believed in a fair society?

Tell me about the financial help the South Wales coalfields got from the Tories following the closure of pits ......

I will give you a clue , it was totally inadequate

You are clearly a believer in the power of the marketplace which is why you are doing a very good impression of supporting what happened .

The descendents of people from the west country were just a percentage of those that worked in the pits . A huge number came from Ireland.

Thatcher wanted to smash the unions , she didn't care who she damaged along the way .

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: The Miners Strike

You may believe this; you may want to believe this. Show us your proof for this assertion.

My memory of this time (as someone who lived through it) is that the country staggered through one strike after another called by the militant leaders of trade unions of coal miners and postmen (to name but two). We had to cope with continual disruption including loss of power for chunks of time which disrupted industry, lost the country millions in trade and made life a misery for ordinary folk. Not least OAPs who were living at the top of tower blocks when the power went off. People who were not enduring the 1970s/80s have little conception of what life was like in those days - and none of it was down to them. It was collateral damage largely caused deliberately by militant unions.

As one Blog put it:

"SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN BRITAIN
The 1970’s, a decade of strikes, including postal workers, miners and dustmen which ended with the ‘winter of Discontent’ when ITV went off air for five months. A three-day week launched in 1972 to save on electricity because of the miners strike."

Something had to be done to resolve this situation. A few powerful individuals were holding the country to ransom - and it wasn't the government.

This sounds like the same old speech trotted out by Thatcher supporters when defending what she did

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Miners Strike

^^^
Bob, you are not reading my post with understanding - it was primarily to do with the 1970s.
And you are conveniently totally forgetting the 1973 miners strike.
I have a clear picture of postmen's strikes. My father-in-law was a postman. They would go on strike at the drop of a hat. Surely you will acknowledge that.
BTW, I was a member of a trade union in the 1970s - and have never voted Conservative.

I’m hardly forgetting that 1973 strike when I mentioned it in one of my earlier posts.

I can remember the guy with the handlebar moustache, name of Tom Jackson, who was the leader of the post workers union, just as I can remember all of the seventies strikes that had a big impact on people’s lives, but it wasn’t like that in the eighties, things had changed no matter how much Scargill tried to make out they hadn’t. There was no need for the matter to be resolved in the manner it was, but Thatcher and her party were out for revenge and communities have been paying the price for that for nearly forty years.

[Tuerto]

Re: The Miners Strike

Interesting thread this. One thing that has been repeated is that workers had too much power. That's down to opinion and fair enough, but look what we see now. Big business can up a leave for pastures cheaper and where they can exploit the the workforce at the drop of the proverbial hat. That's economics for you I suppose, that's a market driven economy, when your skills and knowledge are cast aside simply to make someone more millions, usually in a country that is poor ( developing is the buzz word) and where it doesn't really matter about working conditions or the rights of workers. It's our fault though, shouldn't have been so bloody greedy!

[splott parker]

Re: The Miners Strike

You may believe this; you may want to believe this. Show us your proof for this assertion.

I explained the the flooding of the labour market situation in my initial post on this thread. I don’t think proof is needed when the fact was that thousands of men & women were made jobless. What did you think they did? Went on a long holiday?

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Miners Strike

I explained the the flooding of the labour market situation in my initial post on this thread. I don’t think proof is needed when the fact was that thousands of men & women were made jobless. What did you think they did? Went on a long holiday?

They got on their bikes.

[Once U shop, U can't stop]

Re: The Miners Strike

Interesting thread this. One thing that has been repeated is that workers had too much power. That's down to opinion and fair enough, but look what we see now. Big business can up a leave for pastures cheaper and where they can exploit the the workforce at the drop of the proverbial hat. That's economics for you I suppose, that's a market driven economy, when your skills and knowledge are cast aside simply to make someone more millions, usually in a country that is poor ( developing is the buzz word) and where it doesn't really matter about working conditions or the rights of workers. It's our fault though, shouldn't have been so bloody greedy!

My friend, what is happening right at this moment is that the self-employed artisans are calling the shots. The economic balance has shifted again. I recently asked for four quotes for a boiler and gas fire replacement - three from s/e individuals. Two didn't bother to come despite being chased (including one guy who had serviced our central heating for years). The other said he couldn't quote as he could only do the work in the new year and didn't know what the prices would be. Fair enough - I get this, but what I see is an empowered work force who think they can get away with poor service.

[Once U shop, U can't stop]

Re: The Miners Strike

They got on their bikes.

But only after describing the English cricket test team in detail.....

[Once U shop, U can't stop]

Re: The Miners Strike

An interesting description of life in Britain in 1973 - for those too young to know, and others who have forgotten:

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/past-times/2526061/scott-begbie-the-dark-days-of-power-cuts-were-childs-play-to-me/

[Tuerto]

Re: The Miners Strike

My friend, what is happening right at this moment is that the self-employed artisans are calling the shots. The economic balance has shifted again. I recently asked for four quotes for a boiler and gas fire replacement - three from s/e individuals. Two didn't bother to come despite being chased (including one guy who had serviced our central heating for years). The other said he couldn't quote as he could only do the work in the new year and didn't know what the prices would be. Fair enough - I get this, but what I see is an empowered work force who think they can get away with poor service.

There's loads of work out there at the moment, too much, and not enough tradespeople to do it all. I blame The abolition of the traditional apprenticeship. Young people can earn a fantastic living if they're prepared to learn a trade. It's not easy to find someone who's prepared to train youngsters up though.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: The Miners Strike

My friend, what is happening right at this moment is that the self-employed artisans are calling the shots. The economic balance has shifted again. I recently asked for four quotes for a boiler and gas fire replacement - three from s/e individuals. Two didn't bother to come despite being chased (including one guy who had serviced our central heating for years). The other said he couldn't quote as he could only do the work in the new year and didn't know what the prices would be. Fair enough - I get this, but what I see is an empowered work force who think they can get away with poor service.

If the old gas board did it you wouldn't have this hassle

That's competition for you

Suck it up

[Once U shop, U can't stop]

Re: The Miners Strike

If the old gas board did it you wouldn't have this hassle
That's competition for you
Suck it up

I'd have thought you'd have added the Gas Board to your list of bitterly hated organisations.
'Their' fitters are self-employed and the services of all were recently dispensed with and they were offered altered contracts which were contentious.
Anyway, I used Paul Maddocks' Heatforce for the work. They were the cheapest and able to do the work before Xmas.
That's competition for you - and a lesson in economics.

[NYCBlue]

Re: The Miners Strike

There's loads of work out there at the moment, too much, and not enough tradespeople to do it all. I blame The abolition of the traditional apprenticeship. Young people can earn a fantastic living if they're prepared to learn a trade. It's not easy to find someone who's prepared to train youngsters up though.

I've trying to find someone to do a gut bathroom reno for 7 months. Every contractor that showed up either ghosted us after we agreed a price or just quoted an astronomical amount. We have had quotes from $7000 to $20000 for a 48 square foot bathroom. All the materials have been sitting in my garage since May.

[Wash DC Blue]

Re: The Miners Strike

I've trying to find someone to do a gut bathroom reno for 7 months. Every contractor that showed up either ghosted us after we agreed a price or just quoted an astronomical amount. We have had quotes from $7000 to $20000 for a 48 square foot bathroom. All the materials have been sitting in my garage since May.

Same here its crazy
Decided to have a go at the bathroom myself.

[NYCBlue]

Re: The Miners Strike

Same here its crazy
Decided to have a go at the bathroom myself.

If I had the time maybe I would do it. I was thinking I could pay someone to gut it and take everything away and I think I could do it in two weeks. But that's 10 days of PTO down the drain, I would be knackered and the Mrs would be on my case 24/7 with questions/ideas/suggestions etc. No thanks.