Object 2 – NUM badges
These badges belonged to a member of the National Union of Mineworkers, also known as the NUM. A trade union is an organisation made up of members who are employees in a particular industry or service. Its aim is to protect and advance the interests of its members in the workplace. It negotiates pay and conditions on behalf of its members with employers.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was formed during January 1945 in Nottingham prior to the nationalisation of the British coal industry in 1947. The union took part in three national miners’ strikes during 1972, 1974 and 1984-85.
At the time of 1984-85 Miners Strike, the NUM had over 170,00 members working at 180 collieries across England, Scotland, and Wales. There were 25 collieries employing 28,100 members in South Yorkshire.
The 1984-85 strike was not about pay. The union, miners, and their communities sought to defend an industry and their way of life from the threat of a massive pit closure programme.