British Miners Strike 1984-85. A Striker Remembers

ONE LAST TIME

John Dunn
3-2-21

36 years ago, today, I arrived back home, at 4am, after travelling back from a week's fund raising in Rome (somebody had to do it!).

Derbyshire NUM had asked me to go, after pickets at Felixtowe docks had received support from Italian seamen, who then arranged a fund raising visit...

An eye opening trip, that was eventually to prove life changing, had shown to me, at first hand, the magnificent international solidarity we received that fateful year.

I slept on the floor of a squat, on the setee of the person who subsequently became my greatest friend, and addressed meetings in occupied buildings, universities and public halls...

It was at the last meeting, in Rome University, on Saturday the 3rd of March, that an Italian comrade read, in his newspaper, that the strike was to end...

No mobile phones then, so I had to find an international phone and get a local to ring home for me.

I was told that, during my absence, a special conference had been called, to call off the strike.

 

I had to make my last speech, through tears, and had to be consoled by those present.

 

Our struggle to defend our jobs, industry, families and communities had been defeated...

 

A thousand plus miles from my family and comrades, I had never felt so alone!

 

The next day (Sunday 4th) I flew back, into Gatwick, took a shuttle to St Pancras and caught the last train to Chesterfield, (trains were more frequent then) knowing I was travelling back to, what would become, a very different world to the one I had left, just one week previously...

 

On arriving home, I immediately got changed, put on my picketing clothes, and went to picket for the very last time...

 

I had been there on the first day and I was determined to be there on the last...

The mood was absolute dejection, as scab after scab went by, there were disheartened shouts of 'BASTARD', but little else.

 

I learned that the vote to return had only been narrowly carried at conference, by 98 votes to 91.

 

Most upsetting of all was to be told that the Derbyshire delegation had gone against their mandate to stay on strike, and had voted, instead, to return...

Their votes had, probably, made the difference!

 

I now, jokingly say that they had to send me away in order to call off the strike!

March 4th 1985, was the longest day of my life, I was almost inconsolable, I knew that the strike's defeat would have terrible consequences, little did I know just how terrible...

 

Just typing these words brings back the full emotion of that day, made much worse by seeing the terrible situation in which we now find ourselves.

It could have been so different, had we not been betrayed by Labour and TUC leaders, but today's generation of workers live and suffer the consequences of the defeat of our strike...

 

I also feel some personal responsibility, and would like to apologise

I WISH I'D FOUGHT HARDER, I WISH I'D DONE MORE!!

 

That's why, today, 36 long years later, I'm still fighting and hoping I get it right this time!

NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!