Unions don’t call the shots any more – but we’d all be better off if they did

Scuffles outside Saltley fuel depot in Birmingham, where miners had gathered to try to prevent lorries collecting coke. Photograph: Trevor Roberts/Daily Mail/Re

For those versed in trade union folklore, the battle of Saltley Gate holds a special place. In 1972, workers from Birmingham factories downed tools to support striking miners, blockading a gasworks in the city where there was a huge stockpile of coking coal. Orchestrated by a young Arthur Scargill, the blockade successfully prevented lorries from collecting the coal.

The action was pivotal in winning the strike for the miners, so it comes as no surprise that today, on the 50th anniversary of Saltley Gate, the Midlands branch of the TUC is holding a celebratory event. Scargill will be one of the speakers.