I grew up in the 70s/80s, and first became aware of the news in the early 80s. My parents always watched the 6pm news, and I was usually around. The first big thing I remember is probably the Miners’ Strike in 1984 (I was about 7 or 8, for anyone wondering). I understood none of it, but I remember the feeling that it was a serious thing, almost as if the sky were about to fall. I remember being worried about a surrogate Aunt and Uncle (Aunt Mattie and Uncle Jimmy – two amazing individuals) who had a coal fire, and worrying that they wouldn’t be able to get enough coal to stay warm. The news was full of phrases I didn’t understand but sounded fascinating (I mean what on earth does the phrase “flying picket” conjur up for an eight year old)
Apart from that, and hearing about strike action on the news, I’ve never really had any experience of striking, but driving in to work today, I saw 3 separate picket lines, one at a building where some former colleagues of mine now work (although they’re not involved).
The dispute is between the PCS Civil Servants Union and the Government. I used to always think of Sir Humphrey when I thought about civil servants, but recently, one of the young people at the youth centre which I help run got a job in a job centre. that made her, at the ripe old age of 19, a civil servant. That changed my perspective somewhat.
