The Things I Don't Miss

[TheQ]

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

A lot of folk muddle the 3 day weeks, power cuts and the Winter of discontent. The later was caused in 78/79 and was caused by James Callahans attempt to control inflation by strict wage control of the public sector. This set the sceen for Mrs Thatchers victory later in 79. Thatcher had learned the lessons of the last 10 years and built coal stocks to an all time high so when the NUM kicked off in 84/85 there was ample coal above ground. It was the movement of this coal from the colleries that caused the violent picketing.

You give Thatcher too much credit, Coal sales had started to collapse, there just wasn't the market for it, the unions were fighting every closure hence ever increasing coal mountains..