In February 1972 some 30,000 Birmingham engineers walked out on strikeĀ in solidarity with striking miners who were fighting against austerity pay deals. Up to 15,000 then marched to join miners who were picketing Saltley coke depot. The blockade forced the police, who had kept the depot open all week, to surrender and close the gates. Saltley remains a key moment in British working class history. During the miners strike of 1984 - 85 the Battle of Orgreave briefly looked like it might become another Saltley and the government and police threw everything they had at it to make sure it didn't.Read an outline of how the gates were closed here. Pamphlet tracing the events at the Battle of Saltley Gate and the growth of militancy in the mines and engineering click here This website celebrates the victory at Saltley Gate. Click here for article links and click here to read articles on this site. We have images, song and video links to items about Saltley Gate. We will also compile links to recent news items. If you have articles or pictures you would like linked, or hosted, on this site please email saltleygateinfo@gmail.com If you were at the Battle of Saltley Gate and would like to send us your story we will post it on the site. |