THE plight of the town’s ex-miners were put before ministers in Parliament by a Barnsley MP.
Stephanie Peacock, who represents Barnsley East, recently raised the struggles that many former mineworkers face.
Ms Peacock has been a vocal advocate for the mineworking community since she was elected MP for Barnsley East in 2017 and again raised the issue in a debate in Parliament.
She was successful in campaigning for an inquiry into the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, which concluded that the government should not be in the business of profiting from mineworkers’ pensions in 2021.
The government have pocketed £4.4bn from the arrangement but this figure is set to rise to £6bn, while former miners receive pensions of just £84 per week.
Ministers said ex-miners have received 33 per cent higher pensions and bonuses but it’s been refuted by locals.
She raised this and issues such as mineworkers’ health.
“The Miners’ Strike of 1984 ripped families and towns like Barnsley apart, but the striking miners were shamefully branded ‘the enemy within’ by the then Prime Minister,” Ms Peacock said.
“Over 30,000 men worked down the pits in Barnsley to keep the lights on and the country moving.
“The work was dirty and dangerous, but it was respected.
“However, 40 years after the strikes began, miners are still facing issues with their pensions and health, and coalfield areas like Barnsley continue to suffer.
“I was pleased to raise the issues that former mineworkers in areas like Barnsley face again in Parliament.”
