Miners waiting to start their shift at the Virginia-Pochahontas Coal Company mine near Richland, Virginia, in 1974. The longest strike was the 1984 UK Miners' strike, which lasted from 6th March 1984 - 5th March 1985. For decades, Conservative and Labour governments alike had been closing pits and shedding jobs. Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them. They were all members of the union, which took care of their pay and pension and organised compensation in the event of injury or industrial sickness. A coalition is when two or more parties agree to lead the government together, meaning that combined, they have more than half of the seats in parliament. [CDATA[// >