Blue Plaque Event Heritage Park to Honour Des Dutfield

Mr Dutfield was the last president of the south Wales area of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

He came to the fore when he led a “stay down” strike after the National Coal Board announced the Lewis Merthyr colliery’s closure in February 1983.

Shavanah Taj, general secretary of the Wales TUC, described Mr Dutfield as an “inspiring” figure.

The strike received support from 23,000 miners across the south Wales coalfield, but a subsequent national ballot of the NUM in March that year failed to get the required 55% majority.

After the dispute at Lewis Merthyr, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, the 450 miners were transferred to other collieries, with Mr Dutfield moving to work in Abercynon.