do social workers actually get paid pretty well on that side of the pond?
The childhood incident is mentioned as being in the 60s, so he'd have graduated in the 70s. At that time, it would have been solid middle class work, and as a graduate he might have gone in a few pay grades up from the bottom. Almost certainly more than the miners.
The strength of miner solidarity would be shown in the strikes of the 70s and 80s. The final strike went on for a whole year and included battles with the police. That was essentially the last stand of the old UK labour movement; since then it has become increasingly difficult to have a legal strike and union recruitment has collapsed.
The childhood incident is mentioned as being in the 60s, so he'd have graduated in the 70s. At that time, it would have been solid middle class work, and as a graduate he might have gone in a few pay grades up from the bottom. Almost certainly more than the miners.
The strength of miner solidarity would be shown in the strikes of the 70s and 80s. The final strike went on for a whole year and included battles with the police. That was essentially the last stand of the old UK labour movement; since then it has become increasingly difficult to have a legal strike and union recruitment has collapsed.