Blaenau Gwent councillor's book marks miners' strike (From South Wales Argus)

Blaenau Gwent councillor's book marks miners' strike

8:20am Tuesday 26th May 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

A VALLEYS councillor is publishing a book to commemorate 25 years since the start of the 1984/5 miners’ strike.

The book, written by Blaenau Gwent labour councillor Hedley McCarthy, recalls the torrid times during the strike and tells of the struggle faced by many valleys men and women who suddenly found themselves without an income.

Former council leader Cllr McCarthy, from Llanhilleth, was 30 when the strike broke out and was working as a shop steward at the Corus steelworks in Ebbw Vale.

Also a councillor for the former Islwyn borough at the time, he kept a diary documenting the year, hoping that he would one day write a book about his experiences.

He said: “I virtually had a blow by blow account and I wanted to do something to commemorate the 25th anniversary.

“I think it is interesting to those people that lived through it but also interesting to younger people who need to know about their roots and culture.

“It is important that they are aware of what the area has been through.”

The book documents the everyday struggle of the local people but also the community spirit shown by those who helped out in food kitchens set up to make sure miners had at least one decent meal a day when they could afford nothing else.

Mr McCarthy talks about his involvement in the strike, both financially by paying a £2 a week levy to fund the Transport and General Workers Union, and physically through his presence at demonstrations.

He said: “Many steelworkers thought too close an involvement (with the strike) would affect their jobs, but I took the view that it was a battle for survival.

“It wasn’t just about jobs, it was about the communities that depended on those jobs - particularly in Blaenau Gwent.”

He recalls one incident when he was arrested on a picket line at Port Talbot steelworks for trying to stop coke and iron ore being transported to the Llanwern site in Newport.

He was fined £15.

The book will be go on sale at all Blaenau Gwent libraries from May 29 and costs £8.99.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)