Editorial on resistance in the mining communities [1985]

For many political groups, the implications drawn from the Miners’ Strike, have merely been used to prop up decaying ideological positions. We feel, that while chronicling areas of resistance, such as in the mining communities, a realistic assessment has to be made, so as to gain insights into the ways society is changing and hopefully to pinpoint methods of combative resistance to the Capitalist system. 

The continuing resistance in the mining communities, shows that there is a good deal of morale left. It also reveals, to some extent the Management’s plans to push through closures and new work practices as soon as possible. The Unions have largely been sidestepped. Their role in “managing” workers so often seen in disputes has greatly been reduced in importance. Indeed it could be said that for the government and “managers” of the economy, the defeat of the miners strike is seen as the final stage in Britain in the defeat in the traditional workers movement, the Car and Steel industries as other recent examples. 

For management, to gain complete control over the work situation once more, the long term economic “gains” are worth the high short term costs of rationalisation – redundancy payments and the channelling of Capital into more profitable area, as with the creation of mergers and super pits in the mining industry. 

The Government, too, appear in a buoyant mood, confidant that solidarity between workers in different sectors has evaporated. However the end of the miners strike hasn’t meant an end to industrial disputes, the School teachers and pupils strikes and recent NACODS overtime ban stand as testimony to this. There are also other areas where resistance could develop, the Social Security cuts and YTS conscription being two of the more obvious. 

Indeed rather than a time of demoralisation, there has definitely been no return to normality. 

The main problem has been the fragmented nature of resistance. Partly caused by Unionism, clearly shown after a year of bitter struggle, to be a positive disability to “working class” autonomy and effective resistance. 

Not only have Unions (eg the NUM at South Kirby) lost the spirit to fight, but they have been shown to be a part of the system of control within Capitalist society desperately trying to cling on to their waning function in the face of central administration and austerity which are slowly getting a grip on society. 

At the same time it would be wrong to see Unions as the main problem, in the light of the miners strike the whole nature of Class and Struggle need to be re-assessed. 

One positive thing to be learned from this dispute, is that for practical necessity, Class has to be re-defined in terms of community rather than work. The nature of Women’s Self-organisation shows up as the best example, as with the independent Women’s support groups, and with the case of Notts and S. Derbyshire independent strike meetings. 

Questions in general of community life have been raised, sexual and individual stereotypes openly confronted, by the necessity to confront the police and hardship caused by the year long struggle. 

However these very positive gains can be quickly lost if not continually put into practice. Many people from the mining communities lament the possible loss of the communal spirit they experienced. But as other articles show this has not been completely destroyed. As in Mussleborough, strike centre, with both working and sacked miners continue to meet. There is the need to retain this self organisation of community where all can participate. 

No longer can work be seen as the sole means of life and centre of struggle, community and personal relationships have been drawn into the battleground. A re-definition of class struggle is that of communal resistance to the whole Capitalist system rather skirmishes over a material position within it. 

Counter Information, no.6 (June 1985) https://archive.org/details/sparrowsnest-6799/