Nicky Wilson (born 5 July 1950) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

trade unionist A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. Wilson began working as an electrician at

Cardowan Cardowan is a suburb situated in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the north-eastern outskirts of Glasgow. Originally built around Cardowan Colliery, Garnkirk fire-clay works and clay mines in the immediate area, Cardowan's proximity to Glasgow ha ...

Colliery in 1967. He joined the Scottish Colliery Enginemen, Boilermen and Tradesmen Association (SCEBTA), a constituent of the National Union of Mineworkers.Mineworkers’ union member fails in Employment Appeal Tribunal challenge to election of president
, ''Scottish Legal News'', 9 February 2015 During the UK miners' strike of 1984 to 1985, he organised pickets and also ran a soup kitchen for miners. He was arrested at

Ravenscraig Ravenscraig is a housing development and historic village located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, north-east of central Motherwell. Ravenscraig was formerly the site of Ravenscraig steelworks; once the largest hot strip steel mill in western E ...

after some protesters - who he states were not miners themselves - began throwing bottles at vehicles. The case came to court, and he was found not guilty.Graham Fraser,
Thatcher remembered: The Scottish NUM President Nicky Wilson
, ''

STV News ''STV News'' is a Scottish news division produced by STV. The news department produces two regional services covering STV's Channel 3 franchise areas of Northern and Central Scotland. STV News programmes are produced from studios in Glasgo ...

'', 17 April 2013 Cardowan Colliery did not reopen after the strike, and Wilson found himself without work for a period before he was given employment at the

Longannet coal mine Longannet coal mine was a deep mine complex in Fife, Scotland. History Longannet was the remnant of three mines, established in the 1960s. Built on the north side of the Firth of Forth, east of Kincardine, it connected with the Bogside, Castlehil ...

.Miners Strike: 30 years on, memories still raw over bitter battle
, ''

Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019.Scottish Area of the National Union of Mineworkers The National Union of Scottish Mineworkers (NUSW) is a trade union in Scotland, founded in 1894 as the Scottish Miners Federation. It joined the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, and in 1914 changed its name to National Union of Scottish Minew ...

. Wilson became general secretary of the Scottish Area and although he lost an election for the post in 1997, he was re-elected in 1999. In 1999, he also became a director of the

Coalfields Regeneration Trust The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a registered charity that works across the former Coalfield communities of England, Wales and Scotland. The Charity was founded in 1999. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust receives funding from the Department o ...

.The effects of the miners’ strike are still felt today 30 year on
, ''

Sunday Post ''The Sunday Post'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland, by DC Thomson, and characterised by a mix of news, human interest stories and short features. The paper was founded in 1914 and has a wide circulation across Scotland, U ...

'', 9 March 2014 Wilson lost his job in 2002 as the coal mine he worked at the time was closed, and he instead became a full-time trade unionist. In 2012, he was elected as President of the NUM, after becoming the only candidate to meet the requirements for nomination to the post. This was challenged in court by Stephen Mace, a Yorkshire-based miner who was a supporter of

Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born 11 January 1938) is a British trade unionist who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1982 to 2002. He is best known for leading the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike, a major event in the history o ...

, but the tribunal ruled that his election was run correctly.

References

{{National Union of Mineworkers (UK) Living people Vice presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain) Presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain) Scottish miners 1950 births