The coal industry was being heavily subsidised. It needed a shake up not destroying. Thatcher had it in for the trade unions and was 'having the miners', this was always known back then by scargill etc, but is widely known now to anyone who wants to read into it all. Not that they will. Thats why she imported coal for 12 months proir to the strike on the quiet, as she knew once closures were announced the miners would strike, the strike would last a long time as the government didnt need to negotiate as they had coal, and the longer the strike went on the more the public would turn on the miners....and she was right. Got to give her credit where its due, she knew what she was doing!
The people what still bang on about it being subsidised and thats why they were closed need to pull there head out of their arses and look into what its cost to close the mines down!