Former coalminers have joined fellow staff at the National Coal Mining Museum in a strike over pay, with the industrial action expected to last until mid-September. The 87-year-old former leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, was among those on the picket line on Thursday.
Russ Kear, 60, who worked as a miner from age 16 and now guides at the museum, said most striking staff are veterans of the 1984-85 miners' strike. He recalled the hardship of that era, when his family relied on soup kitchens and community support after his mother lost benefits. 'It really was horrible,' he said. 'It brought the community together, but when they started shutting the mines, that destroyed communities.'
About 40 Unison members are in dispute with museum management over pay. They rejected an offer of a 5% or 80p-an-hour rise, which the museum says equates to 6% for many. The union says the offer is worse than a previous deal they believed would be accepted. The strike has suspended underground tours, but the rest of the museum remains open.
Kear expressed reluctance to strike: 'I don't want to be doing this. This is a place where I really do like to go and share my heritage.' Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said workers strike only as a last resort, urging managers to pay staff fairly. The museum said it faces financial pressures and hopes Unison will reconsider.
