Stunner: East German Communists 'Funded' British Miner Strike

I'm astonished to discover communists have been working hand in hand with leftist union leaders. Next thing you know we'll find out the unions in this country are helping run the Democratic Party

East German communists helped fund the British miners' strike in the 1980s, historians claim.

Newly discovered documents showed substantial sums of money in hard currency were secretly transferred to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) during the major industrial action.

They also stated that the former German Democratic Republic offered free holidays to the country for striking miners and their families in 1984 and 1985.

Food parcels and clothing were also shipped to those taking part in the strike, which ended in a historic defeat for the miners.

Professor Stefan Berger, from the University of Manchester, and Dr Norman LaPorte, from the University of Glamorgan, detail the documents in their new book, Friendly Enemies: Britain And The GDR 1949 to 1990.

Prof Berger, who is based at Manchester's School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures, said: ''My research finds that the NUM and the East European communists wanted to keep the affair secret and had some consequential problems getting the money to the NUM.

''The documents talk about the possibility of using a 'go-between' from the French communist union CGT who would deliver the money straight from Eastern Europe to representatives of the NUM.

''They also allege that the East German FDGB union (Free German Trade Union Federation) helped the miners by providing free holidays for the families and children of British miners in the German Democratic Republic.

''The FDGB, the documents say, also co-ordinated the shipping of food parcels, clothing and so on to British miners.''

He added: ''The communists perceived the NUM as an ally in the international class struggle against capitalism - hence the close interest in the strike.