The 40th anniversary of the 1984 Miners Strike this year has links to Black Miners in the East Midlands, Gedling Colliery in Nottinghamshire had Black Miners from 15 different Caribbean, African and Asian nations from across the Commonwealth.
During the 1984 Miners Strike Gedling Colliery had Black Miners on strike whose white colleagues were worried about them being assaulted by racist police on the picket lines.
These Black Miners were proud to stand in solidarity with their fellow white miners.
Standing together to fight injustice, job cuts and reductions in services is what our union has a proud heritage in, just as the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) did for their members and their families in 1984.
Next year at the National Black Members Conference in Llandudno anyone attending will hear about the recommendations from UNISON’s investigation into how Black Members race discrimination cases are handled.
The theme for Black History in 2024 is ‘Stories of the People’ which is about all of us talking proudly about our shared cultures living in the U.K. as Black people.
We will be having a virtual event on Friday 25th October from 12:15-13:15.
On behalf of the East Midlands Regional Black Members Network I’m inviting you to join us with your national flag in the background and you enjoying a cultural meal.
Happy Black History Month
Gilly Anglin-Jarrett
Chair of East Midlands Regional Black Members Network
18/10/2024