The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border..
This film is part of Free
Miners Retirement
As the Cannock Chase office of the NUM fills up with the walking wounded from the pit face what future can there be for such a high risk industry?
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Overview
In 1977 240,000 members of the National Union of Mineworkers were asked whether they agreed with the plan to retire underground workers at 62. Miners living in the shadow of Littleton Colliery in Staffordshire, which was once known as the 'death pit' according to this ATV Today report, have grim tales to tell about the industry's poor safety record. Filmed at a time when the inherent dangers of mining were considered to be the biggest threat to the future of the industry.
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