Fig 1: Nottingham Area NUM members voting in branch elections at Sherwood Colliery in the 1970’s. Photo Credit – Chad newspaper.

1984 Nottingham Area NUM branch elections

Each branch of the Nottingham Area of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was made up of four branch officials, namely Secretary, Delegate, President and Treasurer and a number of committee members as specified by Rule 13 in the Nottingham Area NUM rulebook.

Fig 2: Rule 13 – Branches, Nottingham Area NUM Rule book. Source – David Amos collection

NUM Branch elections in Nottinghamshire were usually held in June each year and for some Branch Officials it became amusingly referred to as the ‘June Jitters’!

Fig 3: David Amos nomination form for the position of NUM Branch committee member at Annesley Colliery in 1984. Source – David Amos collection.

Nomination for NUM branch positions were made during a set period prior to the date for branch elections (Fig 3).

Fig 4: Postponement of 1984 NUM branch elections as reported at the Nottingham Area NUM Area Executive meeting on 14th May 1984. Source – Nottingham Area NUM Minutes 1984, p.166

Initially, the national NUM sent out a circular in early May 1984 stating that NUM branch elections for 1984 would be postponed because of the industrial action taking place in the coal industry. This was later repealed and branch elections in the Nottingham Area NUM went ahead as normal.

Fig 5: Minute from Nottingham Area NUM AEC meeting on 4th June 1984 that 1984 branch elections should proceed as usual. Source – Nottingham Area minutes 1984, p.174

Fig 6: NUM Branch elections at Annesley Colliery in June 1984. Source – David Amos collection

The unique circumstances of 1984 saw at many Nottingham Area NUM branches a contest for the four branch Officials between a working and striking miner. Following the 1984 Nottingham Area NUM branch elections, only four of the three-hundred or so branch positions went to striking miners.

Fig 7: Preserved NUM ballot box photographed in 2015 at Colliers Way, Phoenix Park, near Nottingham, formerly the site of Babbington Colliery. Photo Credit – David Amos