80s41. Sanctions against South African coal

This conference was part of a campaign launched by the AAM and the British National Union of Mineworkers to stop imports of South African coal into Britain. It was attended by over 500 delegates, including 120 from branches of the NUM. South African miners leader Cyril Ramaphosa was prevented from attending by the South African government. In September 1986 West Germany, Portugal and the UK blocked a European Economic Community proposal to ban South African coal. In the late 1980s coal was South Africa’s second biggest export earner.