Pit closures in the British coal industry: a comparison of the 1960s and 1980s

Abstract

The postwar development of the British coal industry has been punctuated by two large-scale pit closure programmes - in the 1960s and the 1980s. For many commentators these represent the final stages of the inevitable and terminal decline of the industry and thus the task facing government is how best to mediate the conflict between economic and social efficiency. The argument of this paper is that rationalisation of capacity was perceived by management as the best way of reconciling the often conflicting external constraints placed on the industry by government. Accordingly, pit closures are viewed as the outcome of specific policies pursued by both management and government and should not be seen as an inherent feature of the industry.