A Magnificent Manifestation of the Interests of the Working Class and their Communities

Workers' Daily Internet Edition: Article Index :

120^th Durham Miners Gala:
A Magnificent Manifestation of the Interests of the Working Class and their Communities

Two Local Newspaper Reports on the Gala

From the 120th Durham Miners Gala Souvenir Programme

On a day that storm clouds gathered but little rain fell, an estimated 50,000 people from mining communities all over Durham and contingents of workers from the North East and other parts of the country crowded into Durham for the 120th Durham Miners Gala on July 10. The Durham Miners Gala is a magnificent manifestation of the interests of the working class and the strength of the communities that grew up around the mining industry in Durham and the North East and a unique occasion.

This year the main theme of the Gala was the 20th anniversary of the heroic miners’ strike of 1984-5. The commemoration of the strike and the spirit of the Gala were fittingly combined in the slogans: "Twenty years on and still fighting" and "The Past we Inherit; The Future we Build".

From 9.00 am, fifty contingents of mining communities with banners and brass bands as well as all of the other active trade unions made their way through the throngs that lined their way through Durham to the racecourse.

Steve Kemp, NUM National Secretary, speaking to thousands gathered for the Big Meeting, chaired by David Guy of the NUM Durham Area, said that the strike was "one of the most honourable in the labour and trade union history for the right to work and the right to provide for your family and for the rights of our communities". Revealing a fundamental lesson of the strike he said that "the state collectively threw everything against our union". He attacked the lies of the then Thatcher government and defended the leaders of the NUM and paid tribute the 1,110 sacked miners, to the thousand of injured miners and in particular paid tribute to the memory of Davy Jones and Joe Green who were killed in the strike.

Steve Kemp pointed out that "Thatcher understood that dispute, she understood class politics when it was clear that some in our movement didn’t". Speaking about the continuation of the struggle today he said that "at the very least we should be in the forefront of the campaign for workers’ rights to rid the world of so-called globalisation and the evil of capitalism, to steer away from the so-called nonsense of ‘Third Way’ politics and policies and contest the ridiculous notion that the class war is over. If we can do that as a movement," he poignantly remarked, "then we can get back on the right track."

General Secretary of the RMT Bob Crow followed Steve Kemp in addressing the Meeting. RMT members had fully backed the 1984-5 strike. Bob Crow looked back at the role railway workers played in supporting the mineworkers 20 years on. He said that 500 RMT members were either sacked, or suspended "for refusing to move a cobble of coal". He went on to explain that British Rail cancelled the unions’ check off system then and this still remains to this day. The union lost £5 million and went into debt, but this was a debt that was well worth it.

Speaking about the struggle today, Bob Crow related the militant actions that the seafarers, rail and transport workers are waging against privatisation and for better pay, jobs and pension rights – struggles which are vilified in the press. Importantly he went on to speak about the disaffiliation of the RMT from the Labour Party. He remarked that it in fact it was the Labour party that had disaffiliated from RMT. He drew the historical parallel that "102 years ago the National Union of Railwaymen moved that resolution on behalf of Doncaster branch to set a new party up (This led to the founding of the Labour Representation Committee - ed)… the argument was put that we need to stay in the Liberal Party and change it from within." He commented that after seven years of the Labour government his union was fed up with people telling them that that they should be happy about this because, he concluded to loud applause, "we want a social transformation of society"!

Both these speakers, as well as the subsequent speakers Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison, and Tony Woodley, TGWU General Secretary, condemned the illegal attack on Iraq, and Steve Kemp also expressed solidarity with the Cuban and the Palestinian people. Vera Baird QC, MP for Redcar, devoted most of her speech to recalling her time as a barrister defending striking miners against the full force of the state. Dave Hopper, General Secretary of the NUM Durham Area, concluded with a vote of thanks to the guests and speakers as well as all who had turned out for the Big Meeting.

During the Gala, activists of RCPB(ML) distributed the call of the Northern Regional Committee of RCPB(ML), Only the Workers’ Opposition Can Safeguard the Future of the Country! They also sold Workers’ Weekly and many pamphlets and books on the Party bookstall and throughout the racecourse. The Northern Regional Committee call highlighted how the workers, and especially the miners, through their heroic strike had seen whom the state serves and had become resolved to take forward the fight for justice. Twenty years on, the issue for the working class was not just safeguarding one industry, but the safeguarding of the country, ending the wrecking of its economy and taking the lead in nation building. The statement called workers to join in building the Workers’ Opposition to safeguard the future of the country and bring about a pro-worker, pro-social and anti-war government that is fully accountable to the people.

A mine of nostalgia

Ex-pitmen and their families shrugged off rain and cold to make the 120th Durham Miners' Gala a memorable celebration of a once-great industry.

The pits of the Durham coalfield may now be closed and the industry virtually killed off, but thousands of people still turned out at the city's racecourse on Saturday to remember the glory days of mining in the North.

They also enjoyed the lively blend of free music, fairground entertainment, memorabilia displays and political speeches.

Veterans of the coalfield brought their children and - in some cases - grandchildren, to be part of an event whose origins go back as far as 1831.

That was when a massive meeting at Black Fell between Ashington and Eighton Banks miners was the forerunner of the gala we know today.

Mine closures have meant the days of over 100 pit banners being carried through the city are long gone.

But that meant nothing to the hordes of youngsters who simply enjoyed a fun day of rides, singing, art demos, fancy dress and face painting.

On Friday afternoon gala regular and former Labour MP Tony Benn had the honour of unfurling the re-commissioned banner of the "`Cotia" (Harraton) colliery at the Miners Welfare Hall in Fatfield, Durham.

This was one of seven new and restored banners that were part of the traditional march through Durham city.

Then on Saturday Mr Benn - not a speaker this year - walked amongst the gala crowds and caught up with the many friends he has made in the region over the years.

Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, a staunch and vocal ally of the miners during the 80s, was the main musical attraction at the occasion.

He proved a hit with the crowd, as did the AngloGold Male Voice Choir, living up to their billing as "The men with the golden voices."

As in other years, the gala concluded by remembering those who lost their lives in the mines during a special service at Durham Cathedral.

Clash Prompts Fears for Gala

An organiser of the Durham Miners' Gala said today [July 12] he feared police were aiming to put a stop to the annual event, after a confrontation between miners and police at the weekend.

Tempers flared at the gala when marchers from Murton were "hurried on" for their traditional march past.

Gala officials said they were writing to Durham Police chiefs in protest at how lodges, bands and their supporters were facing more and more restrictions.

Police, after protests from Murton supporters and the crowd, later stepped down and allowed the lodge band time to play outside the hotel as it left the racecourse on Saturday afternoon.

Playing to dignitaries on the County Hotel balcony is a key part of the gala's march into and out of the gala ground, and an estimated 50,000 people packed into Durham for the event.

Inspector Dick Dodds said: "There was a communication breakdown among ourselves as those on points duty believed they had to keep the bands moving on."

He said several bands had accepted the police instructions but Murton had made themselves heard.

Mr Dodds said: "Murton made their protests and took exception to being moved on. We then allowed them to play,"

He said police had apologised to gala organisers for the mix-up and added: "We were not out to spoil anybody's day."

Keith Potts, gala spokesman, said he and Dave Hopper, general secretary of Durham NUM, would be writing to county police chiefs about marching restrictions.

He said: "Rather than allow Murton to play outside the county, they were being asked to move on.

"My fear is that the police are trying to stop the gala as every year there are more and more restrictions on where people and bands can march."

Saturday's gala saw 50 Durham banners, the highest number since the early 1960s.

The Miners’ Strike 1984

By Ron Todd, former General Secretary, TGWU

Two decades past, sad memories of strike
Families torn apart, communities laid bare
The pithead closed, where many lost life
In days when true compassion was rare

But then the politicians hatched their plans
To rob them of their work, to split their kin
While solidarity faced created travel bans
With proud men labelled "Enemies Within"

With band and banner, miners marched as one
To fight, defending all they held most dear
The might of government, in their path was flung
The weapons used were poverty, jail and fear

Keir Hardie’s words had never rung so true
"They are our kin, what hurts them hurts us"
"Their battle is our battle," heard only by a few
And they would live to rue the day and cuss

Their failure to combine to meet that foe
To recognise, it’s all for one and one for all
Alone we’re bound to lose, united we will grow
Until that lesson’s learned, into the pit we’ll fall

Harraton Banner

Durham’s great folk-singing tradition is celebrated on a new Harraton colliery banner. Harraton colliery was known locally as ’Cotia colliery, short for Nova Scotia, due to the large number of Scottish miners who came to work at the pit when it was first sunk. The front of the banner is an exact copy of ’Cotia’s last banner displaying a portrait of Keir Hardie, the father of the Labour Party.

On the back the portraits of Jack Elliott and Jock Purdon have been painted in the foreground. Jack and Jock were miners at ’Cotia and kept the folk-singing tradition alive for many years. Jack made many recordings and is best known for two poems he put to music – Rap ’er to Bank and Jowl, Jowl, Listen Lad.

Jock’s song writing was prolific and amongst his many songs was one called The ’Cotia Banner:

Unfurl the ’Cotia banner boys
Where are the rebels bold
That marched behind the banner
On Gala days of old
It was once said
That they were red
Black listed I’ve been told