Summary
A further exploration of the 1949 National Coal Strike from a Queensland perspective, a strike defined by cold war hysteria and a hostile Chifley Federal Labor Government. Following the freezing of union funds during the strike, union leaders withdrew union funds from banks and hid the money, resulting in the jailing of union leaders by the Chifley Government. In an attempt to starve the striking miners back to work, the government then passed laws making it illegal for shop keepers to offer the miners credit. The film also charts some of the hardships endured by miners and their families, the challenges of finding food and efforts to raise public support.
Special Notes/Achievement
Released as bonus material for DVD and online distribution, this short film is one of nine micro documentaries constructed from unused material collected for the feature documentary Blood On The Coal (2015).
Author: J Bird, 2023