Arthur Scargill, National Coal Board, Sheffield, president, Scotland

Miners Strike 1984 - 1985, Pictured. Miners leader, Arthur Scargill, walks to delegates meeting, passing supporters, Sheffield, Tuesday 6th November 1984. On 6th March 1984, the National Coal Board announced that the agreement reached after the 1974 strike had become obsolete, and that to rationalise government subsidisation of industry they intended to close 20 coal mines, with a loss of 20,000 jobs, and many communities in the North of England as well as Scotland. On 12th March 1984, Arthur Scargill, president of the NUM, declared that strikes in the various coal fields were to be a national strike and called for strike action from NUM members in all coal fields. On 22nd March that the strike was official. The strike ended on 3 March 1985, nearly a year after it had begun.