Did anyone see Faith last night?

[Basil Fawlty]

On BBC1 about two families who got torn apart in the Miners strike of 1984. This was very gripping indeed i never expected that to happen at the end.

 

[Le Premier Cru]

I've often tried to think, if I ever meet that Thatcher crone, will I merely turn my back on her, spit on her or hit her? If there's one woman on the planet that, even after all these years, justifies the last of these it's her.

 

[Lammy]

I've often tried to think, if I ever meet that Thatcher crone, will I merely turn my back on her, spit on her or hit her? If there's one woman on the planet that, even after all these years, justifies the last of these it's her.

You're right, we were much better off when the minors were holding the country to ransom and limiting the hours of the day we could turn our lights on!

 

[tedebear]

I don't understand the Maggie thatcher hatred over the miners situation.....

every time I ask someone to explain it to me it gets so emotional and angry I never understand....

 

[Lammy]

I don't understand the Maggie thatcher hatred over the miners situation.....

every time I ask someone to explain it to me it gets so emotional and angry I never understand....

Basically under Labour in the 70s the Unions ran the country.

The Minors were on strike every five minutes for more money (they were not poorly paid due to the danger factor). Electricity was effectively rationed and there were planned blackouts during the working week.

The Torys were voted in and stood up to the unions. This whne on during the 80s and things turn violent and minors went on strike for ages.

As this could not go on and we needed energy. We converted a lot of power stations from coal to gas. We imported the gas and closed the mines.

The minors were a bit pissed off as they didn't get their own way and no longer had a death grip on the country. Therefore they hate Thatcher and the Torys.

Whilst I'm not a fan of the Torys I'm glad we are no longer at the mercy of the minors.

A similar situation that happens today is the train drivers. They are run by ex-drivers and heavily union controlled. Their wages are MASSIVE! After training they start on about £30,000. It is not uncommon to see train drivers on over £60,000pa for driving a train. Again this will come to a head at some point.

 

[tedebear]

hmmm I see the problem - on one hand she cut them off at the knees on the other she got things moving but maybe not how people thought it should happen?

 

[Lammy]

hmmm I see the problem - on one hand she cut them off at the knees on the other she got things moving but maybe not how people thought it should happen?

basically yep.

 

[Eddie the Seagull]

You're right, we were much better off when the minors were holding the country to ransom and limiting the hours of the day we could turn our lights on!

So Thatcher got rid of the Minors then

Was that all the under 18's or Morris Minors aswell

She was succeded by a Major too.

 

[Lammy]

So Thatcher got rid of the Minors then

Was that all the under 18's or Morris Minors aswell

She was succeded by a Major too.

 

[London Calling]

Basically under Labour in the 70s the Unions ran the country.

The Minors were on strike every five minutes for more money (they were not poorly paid due to the danger factor). Electricity was effectively rationed and there were planned blackouts during the working week.

The Torys were voted in and stood up to the unions. This whne on during the 80s and things turn violent and minors went on strike for ages.

As this could not go on and we needed energy. We converted a lot of power stations from coal to gas. We imported the gas and closed the mines.

The minors were a bit pissed off as they didn't get their own way and no longer had a death grip on the country. Therefore they hate Thatcher and the Torys.

Whilst I'm not a fan of the Torys I'm glad we are no longer at the mercy of the minors.

A similar situation that happens today is the train drivers. They are run by ex-drivers and heavily union controlled. Their wages are MASSIVE! After training they start on about £30,000. It is not uncommon to see train drivers on over £60,000pa for driving a train. Again this will come to a head at some point.

Lammy for a nice bloke you do talk bollocks. I would refer you to the miners thread, which contains more factual information. But for instance the small gas building programme did not start until 1987 two years after the strike finished. Coal power stations are coal power stations they cannot be converted to gas.

We now have a situation that we produce the cheapest coal in the world, but cannot supply the stations with enough local coal and have to import much more expensive coal because Columbia, Poland, South Africa can hold us to ransom.


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm good economic policy?


I will add more if needs be but be warned.

I used for work for a Wakefield Council which in 1984 had the largest number of pits in the UK, the largest mining workforce and my job was to prepare the Council case and the local MP's cases againgst closures.

 

[Lammy]

Lammy for a nice bloke you do talk bollocks. I would refer you to the miners thread, which contains more factual information. But for instance the small gas building programme did not start until 1987 two years after the strike finished. Coal power stations are coal power stations they cannot be converted to gas.

We now have a situation that we produce the cheapest coal in the world, but cannot supply the stations with enough local coal and have to import much more expensive coal because Columbia, Poland, South Africa can hold us to ransom.


Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm good economic policy?


I will add more if needs be but be warned.

I used for work for a Wakefield Council which in 1984 had the largest number of pits in the UK, the largest mining workforce and my job was to prepare the Council case and the local MP's cases againgst closures.

The only bollocks there are the exact figures and time scales.

The jist of it is factual. The Miners held this country to ransom regularly. Thatcher came in and told them all to piss off.

Since the mines were closed we now have a far more stable source of electricity. It may be more expensive to import coal but at least they actually supply the stuff. We are saving money by actually being able to work 9-5 5 days a week. This was not possible with the miners stiking every 5 minuites.

At the end of the day they asked for too much too often and they went too far.

 

[Titanic]

I used for work for a Wakefield Council which in 1984 had the largest number of pits in the UK, the largest mining workforce and my job was to prepare the Council case and the local MP's cases againgst closures.

Not one of your more successful roles then ??

 

[London Calling]

Not one of your more successful roles then ??

Nope, when I arrived there was 19,000 jobs and roughly 19 mines by the time I moved south it was down to 5 collieries now it is 1.

The vast majority of these mines produced coal cheaper than any where else in the world, contrary to belief had great labour relationships, very few strikes.

The average miner by at the end of 1990 was still only earning £120-140 per week without overtime, bonuses.

It is not a well paid job.

Only the Heading teams earn large bucks.

The two mining strikes were in 72 and 74, these led to the 3 day week! I cannot remember their wages at that time but they were very low. A national disgrace. THe strikes resolved that issue.

10 years before the great strike. Over the following period the country had never been held to ransom by the miners, who had not been on a national strike. The mineworkers were only out on a national strike on 4 occasions 1926, 1972 , 1974 and 1983/4.

Collieries had been closed down over that period, as they always had been.

The strike, Thatchers action was not on economic grounds it was a political war.

And don't forget Heseltine at that time the darling of the conservatives, his family had major interests in private mining. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.