Miners kept the lights on – now pay them their money from pension scheme
This week, fellow SNP MSPs and I wrote to the UK Government, calling on it to do the right thing and provide a clear date for when former mineworkers will receive the remaining money from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
Coal mining shaped Fife for more than a century.
Communities such as Kirkcaldy, Dysart and Wemyss were built around the industry and were home to thousands of miners.
Their lives were tough, and the work was dangerous, often coming at great personal cost.
Many suffered serious injuries, while some never came home. The sacrifices made by mining families helped power Scotland, and their contribution to our national story cannot be overstated.
The Mineworkers' Pension Scheme was established to provide retirement security for those workers. It is now time for the UK Labour Government to end the uncertainty surrounding the remaining £1.2 billion and confirm when former miners can expect to receive their payments.
It is disgraceful that former miners and their families are still having to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
It is disrespectful to the contribution they made, disrespectful to the sacrifices they endured, and disrespectful to the communities that helped build this country.
The people of Fife know the value of miners because we have seen first-hand what they gave to our towns and villages. We know the hardship they faced, the risks they accepted, and the pride they took in their work.
The time for reviews, discussions and further delays is over. The UK Government must now honour its commitments, end the uncertainty, and ensure that every penny owed is returned to the miners and their families.
Every day that passes is another day that former miners are forced to wait for justice. Some have already died while this issue has dragged on.
The Government must act now, publish a clear timetable, release the remaining funds without delay, and finally bring this long-running injustice to an end. Our miners kept the lights on, fuelled our industries, and helped build the communities we are proud to call home. They have waited long enough.