Complex sentence: This led to the bitter 1984-1985 miner's strike; despite many meetings between the two opposing sides no agreement was ever reached, and the UK coal industry went into gradual decline when the strike finished.
Split into simpler sentences: This led to the protracted and increasingly bitter 1984-1985 miner's strike. Despite many meetings between the two opposing sides no agreement was ever reached, and the UK coal industry continued its decline when the strike finished.