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In 1972 the National Union of Miners decided on their first nationwide industrial action since 1926. Stocks of coal at the power stations fell to such an extent that there were power cuts. Eventual...ly the government intervened and declared a State of Emergency, set up a Court of Enquiry and gave the miners what they asked for. These acts were apparently in direct contradiction to stated Conservative policy not to intervene in industrial affairs. The course of the strike is followed and Joe Gormley, President of the NUM, and Robert (now Lord) Carr, then Secretary of State for Employment, give their views of what happened. Was the government panicked into action? Or, as Joe Gormley argues, was the State of Emergency a cynical, political move to try and get public opinion on the government's side?
In 1972 the National Union of Miners decided on their first nationwide industrial action since 1926. Stocks of coal at the power stations fell to such an extent that there were power cuts. Eventual...ly the government intervened and declared a State of Emergency, set up a Court of Enquiry and gave the miners what they asked for. These acts were apparently in direct contradiction to stated Conservative policy not to intervene in industrial affairs. The course of the strike is followed and Joe Gormley, President of the NUM, and Robert (now Lord) Carr, then Secretary of State for Employment, give their views of what happened. Was the government panicked into action? Or, as Joe Gormley argues, was the State of Emergency a cynical, political move to try and get public opinion on the government's side?
| Module code and title: | D203, Decision making in Britain |
|---|---|
| Item code: | D203; 12; 1976 |
| First transmission date: | 02-03-1976 |
| Published: | 1976 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OUDA web pages. |
| Duration: | 00:24:00 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Chris Cuthbertson |
| Contributors: | Stanley Brown; Derek Ezra; Joe Gormley; Brian Widlake |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Coal; Industrial action; National Union of Miners; Power stations; Power-cuts |
| Footage description: | Clips from interviews in 1972 with Ezra and Gormley at the beginning of wage negotiations. Shots of rank-and-file miners and picketing. Brown from the CEGB explains his attitude to the situation. Widlake outlines further developments - power cuts. Ezra and Gormley comment on the negotiations. The results of the Wilberforce enquiry and the ensuing miners' ballot are shown with contemporary shots. Gormley, looking back at the events of 1972, outlines what precipitated the dispute and how he saw the negotiations. Carr looks at the involvement of the government in the negotiations and how the problem is difficult with nationalised industries. He also discusses the State of Emergency. Gormley describes why he thought the State of Emergency unnecessary and a political ploy. He also comments on the public support. Carr also comments on the public opinion problem. He continues to describe the government's policy on inflation and wage rises and the leapfrogging process in wages The effects of the picketing is outlined by Gormley, and the lessons the miners learnt. Barnes looks at the general background at the time in the wages market. Credits. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/72214 |
| Production number: | 00525_2270 |
| Videofinder number: | 3412 |
| Available to public: | no |
