Newsletter
March 2003
History of the North Staffordshire Miners Wives Action Group [The North staffs Miners Wives Action group now has its own web site. Click HERE to view it.] North Staffs Miners Wives was formed in 1985 from the members of the ten food centres which were set up in the 1984 strike around the North Staffs coalfield. When the strike ended, our aims were to give support to the sacked miners and their families and to make sure they were never forgotten for the sacrifices they gave to the strike. We became members of the Justice for Mineworkers Campaign. When the strike ended it was really the beginning for our group, because for us there was no going back and the group gave solidarity and support to others in struggle and got involved to help trade unionists at Wapping, Silentnight workers, Seafarers, Liverpool Dockers, women workers at Downing Street and Anti Deportation campaigns and many more disputes all over the country. The group travelled as far afield as Belfast, where on one of their trips the women got arrested by police at Manchester airport under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and were held by Special branch officers for eight hours. In 1985 the group put on a "Here we go in North Staffs" exhibition at the Potteries Museum which was opened on October 12th by Arthur Scargill. The exhibition told the story of how men and women and their families from the mining community came together in the struggle against pit closures and the fight that was put up against the police, the courts and the media for twelve long months and why that struggle continues. In January 1986, resulting in political involvement with Banner Theatre Group from Birmingham, the group were given a grant from West Midland Arts to work with Banner on singing and writing songs about their experiences which resulted with the group putting on their first show called "Unfinished Business". This was followed by a long list of tours and gigs all over the country with workers and trade unionists booking the group to hear their songs of struggle. No Going Back
Commemorative
Sculpture To coincide with the unveiling the group held a week of events around Stoke, which premiered Ken Loach's film "Hidden Agenda" and a "songs of struggle" show at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle, Staffs.
Trentham Pit
Camp Following a meeting
of National Women Against Pit Closures in Sheffield the group set
up the first of many pit camps outside the gates of Trentham Colliery.
The support and solidarity the group received was great and people
visited the camp on a daily basis, not only from this country but
all over the world. Interest in the pit camps began to fade from the
media so in the middle of the night on Tuesday 11th May 1993, three
women from the group, to highlight the campaign, broke through the
tight security of the colliery and chained themselves to railings
by the two mile deep No 1 pit shaft and stayed there for three days
and four nights, leaving a fourth member of the group to co-ordinate
outside.
Stage Play
'Nice Girls'
After the success of the play the group's next project in 1994 was to make a video tape about the memorial sculpture and the tape pays tribute to the historic miners strike and all those who played a part in that struggle against pit closures. It marked the 10th anniversary of the strike and all proceeds from the sale went to Justice for Mineworkers Campaign. The video was named "We are not Defeated." The group continues its work with and for victimised miners fighting in defence of jobs, unions and victimised workers. The group has recently been campaigning on the picket lines with striking fire fighters and on peace marches against the war in Iraq. Next year (2004) is the 20th anniversary of the miners strike and the group is fundraising for events to take place throughout the year. These include a fitting plaque to stand beside the memorial sculpture, a photographic exhibition of the strike and a celebration and weekend gathering of National Women Against Pit Closures and many plans for further events all over the country. We will not let the historic miners strike be forgotten it was a strike that inspired working people everywhere. We came together in 1984/85 ..we're still here We're still fighting ..we are not defeated. The North staffs Miners Wives Action group now has its own web site. Click HERE to view it.
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