SNP ministers have been urged to rethink their refusal to supply compensation to Scottish miners who have been sacked throughout the bitter 1984 strike.
Dennis Canavan stated these concerned had been victims of "among the largest miscarriages of justice within the historical past of Scottish industrial relations".
The previous Labour MP sat on the unbiased evaluate group established by the Scottish Authorities to reexamine the occasions of 1984 and suggest whether or not there was a case to pardon these convicted of commerce union exercise.
In the course of the walk-out 1,400 individuals have been arrested in Scotland, with greater than 500 convicted - with 206 miners sacked because of this.
MSPs final week backed the primary stage of a invoice that can ultimately supply a proper pardon to these convicted of sure crimes - akin to being present in breach of the peace on a picket line.
However the Scottish Authorities has insisted the laws is about reconciliation and the query of compensation was a matter for Westminster.
Miners in 1984 have been staff of the state-owned Nationwide Coal Board (NCB).
Canavan stated the difficulty of compensation didn't fall inside their "slim remit" of the panel - however urged the Scottish Authorities to supply some type of compensation.
He instructed the Document: "Talking in a private capability, I believe there are very sturdy arguments for compensation, particularly in instances of unfair dismissal.
"We heard of some instances the place miners have been dismissed even earlier than their instances have been even handled by the courts.
"Dismissal additionally meant impoverishment for a lot of miners and their households who misplaced many hundreds of kilos in wages and pensions entitlement.
"A few of them have been unable to search out work once more as a result of they'd been blacklisted."
"It also needs to be recalled that Scottish miners suffered disproportionately in contrast with their comrades in different components of the UK.
"Scottish miners made up about seven per cent of the whole UK coalmining workforce - however Scottish miners accounted for about 14 per cent of arrests and over 20 per cent of dismissals."
Canavan blamed the "vindictive angle" of Albert Wheeler, who was in control of the Scottish area of the Nationwide Coal Board throughout the strike.
After the strike resulted in 1985, Wheeler refused amnesties to miners convicted of offences who needed to return to work.
Canavan continued: "Some individuals could argue that the matter of compensation needs to be addressed by the UK Authorities reasonably than the Scottish Authorities.
"Employment is a matter reserved to Westminster and the Nationwide Coal Board was a publicly owned UK trade.
"Nonetheless, if the UK Authorities continues in its intransigent state of denial, I believe that the Scottish Authorities ought to think about some type of ex-gratia funds.
"This might go a way in direction of reaching a measure of redress for individuals who have been victims of among the largest miscarriages of justice within the historical past of Scottish industrial relations."
A Scottish Authorities spokesman stated: "We very a lot sympathise with miners who misplaced out on redundancy funds and pension rights on account of being sacked by the Nationwide Coal Board after being arrested or convicted for actions while collaborating within the strike.
"By providing a pardon, the Scottish Authorities is doing what it will probably inside its powers to revive dignity to miners convicted in relation to the strike. Nonetheless, Employment and Industrial Relations are reserved to Westminster.
"We agree with the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s view that the Invoice is just not the suitable mechanism for delivering a compensation scheme.
"We are going to proceed to press the UK Authorities for a UK-wide public inquiry which also needs to embody the cost of compensation.
"The Scottish Authorities additionally considers that, if the Invoice is handed, then this might add weight to requires motion to be taken by the UK Authorities.”
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