The Great Miners' Strike of 1984

The miners’ strike of 1984–5 is remembered as the Great Strike, one of the most militant class struggles in British history.

Over the course of a year, almost 200,000 miners took on Thatcher’s Tory government in a battle whose impact continues to shape the political landscape 40 years later.

The struggle and self-sacrifice of the mining communities should never be forgotten. But it is even more important to learn why, despite their heroism and militancy, the miners were ultimately defeated.

This pamphlet analyses the key turning points of the dispute, the strategy of the government, and the response of the miners and the labour movement.

The consequences of the defeat are still with us today in devastated communities, privatised industries, and the rise of right wing movements.

But the lessons of 1984 are an invaluable contribution to the class battles that a new generation of militants are fighting today.