Collection of badges from South Wales Area of NUM
A collection of nine badges from branches from the South Wales Area of the NUM. Listed from top left to bottom right.
Mardy NUM
This is the original issue, designed by George Hickman and made via the TUC Peoples’ Centre in West Bromwich.
Produced in thousnads. 25mm round. Red, blue and green. Gilt.
(also available on its own as a greetings card.)
Treforgan Lodge
The men at the Lodge wanted something different to other badges.
800 issued. 26mm x 18mm in shape of a miner’s head with helmet. Gilt
Tower NUM
Produced after the strike by Tyrone O’Sullivan. The slogan on the badge, “Etrenal Vigilance is the price of Freedom” is taken from the Lodge’s banner (see GC051). The red flag represents the famous Merthyr Rising on Hirwuan Common where a white flag was dipped in the blood of a calf during a workers’ rebellion.
1,000 issued. 26mm round. White, blue, black, green, yellow and red. Gilt.
(Also available on its own as a greetings card.)
Celynen South Lodge
Closure badge. Paid for by Lodge funds. This colour scheme is an unissued sample. The original was red and black and 1,000 were issued.
25mm round. Red and Green. Gilt.
(A poster of an early morning picket at Celynen South colliery is available.)
Aberpergwm
One of the largest badges, designed to show a good image of a dragon.
300 issued. 35mm round. Red, green and white. Gilt.
Roseheyworth 84-85
There are five badges with the same design but different uses of red and black enamel. Brain Witts reports that the Lodge Secretary at the time says that the Lodge did not produce a badge. However the Chairman informed him that they did and remembered that it had two dragons on it. Two had red dragons and three had black dragons and these three are strongly dis-owned by the ex-Chairman.
500 issued. 25mm round. Black and red. Gilt.
Lady Windsor 1984 1985
Produced after the strike.
1,000 issued. 23mm x 20mm shield with scroll. Red and white. Gilt.
Tredegar Combine Lodge
Produced after the strike. The tower on the badge is Tredegar town clock. The badge was designed by the father of a mining apprentice and selected during a strikers' meeting. The die was destroyed.
400 issued. 27mm x 20mm oval. Red, blue, green and white. Gilt.
Abernant
Produced after the strike.
1,000 issued. 31mm x 28mm uncommon shape. Red, green, black and white. Gilt
The Miners’ Strike 1984-85
The Miners’ Strike of 1984/5 was in defence of the coal industry, to protect jobs and communities. By the end of the strike in March 1985, 200 mineworkers served time in prison or custody, 20,000 people had been injured and 966 mineworkers had been sacked by the NCB. Two members of the National Union of Mineworkers were killed on picket lines; David Jones on the 15th March 1984 and Joe Green on the 15th June 1984. Three people died digging for coal during the winter.
National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign
The National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign was formed at the 1985 Labour Conference and was launched at the Albert Hall, London, in October 1986. The objectives of the campaign are to keep the issue of those victimised miners to the forefront of the labour and trade union movement and to raise money to alleviate hardship among the families of the victimised men. The 966 men were originally sacked for no more than honouring picket lines, defending their jobs and pit communities, their class and the future of their children.
Only a small number had been dismissed for offences against the person or damage to property. Many miners subsequently cleared by the courts were not re-instated and neither were many more who successfully won their cases for unfair dismissal at Industrial Tribunals. Many were even blacklisted from getting any work outside the coal industry.
The Justice Campaign is supported by the NUM, Labour Party, TUC conferences and many national & regional unions.
National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign
103 Cliff Road Hornsea HU18 1JB
Email: to be advised
Web: www.justiceformineworkers.org.uk
Phone: 01964 532954 & 07816 030236
A minimum of 10p of the purchase price of this card is donated to the NJMC.
Enamel badges of the National Union of Mineworkers
Many thanks to Brian Witts for information, advice and access to his collection. Brian produces the definitive book about the enamel badges and a large format poster using images of the badges to illustrate the wreckage caused by the Thatcher government to the mining industry and the mining communities. Contact Past Pixels if you want details.
Image of badges are copyright National Union of Mineworkers.
Photography by Martin Shakeshaft www.strike84.co.uk
