30 years after the end of the Miners’ Strike,
Pontypridd hosted a special commemoration event, attended by people from across
the south-Wales valleys on 11th
April.
The event, which was organised by Owen Smith MP and
Mick Antoniw AM and held at Pontypridd Rugby Club, drew a large and diverse
audience including ex-miners, students, politicians as well as members of the
general public.
Attendees were greeted by the rousing tones of the
Cory Band, the current brass band world-champions and amongst the speakers were
Nicky Wilson NUM President, prospective parliamentary candidate for Cardiff
Central Jo Stevens, whose involvement in Women Against Pit Closures brought her
into politics and Wayne Thomas, leader of the South Wales NUM.
Against an impressive backdrop of lodge banners,
Owen Smith MP, welcomed people to the event saying:
“The Miners’ Strike was a
critical moment in the history of this community and we must always remember
it, and remind ourselves of our industrial and political heritage. The strike was
part of a wider political battle between the Tory Party and working
people in communities like ours who did not support them then, and never will.
That struggle continues today and that is why we need to remind ourselves of
the need to maintain solidarity and stand together against those who do not
represent our interests.”
The event’s keynote speaker was Ian Lavery MP,
a former President of the NUM and chair of the Parliamentary Trade Union
Committee. Ian spoke passionately about the events of the time and the
legacy of the strike, including highlighting the campaign for an amnesty for
miners arrested during the strike.
A number of speakers referred to the pivotal events
at Orgreave, or the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ as it is sometimes known. Mick
Antoniw AM, who was a member of the legal team which successfully defended
the 90 miners arrested for riot and unlawful assembly said:
“The prosecution’s case quickly fell apart,
resulting in half a million pounds in compensation being paid. The
arrests were politically motivated and, as recently released cabinet papers
have shown, were part of a deliberated strategy by Margaret Thatcher’s
Government to destroy the mining industry.”
The evening was concluded with a short set by Dave
Burns of the Henneseys, who delighted the audience with rousing versions of a
number of iconic songs.
