Arthur Scargill is recovering in hospital after an accident with a passenger's case as he boarded a train.
Arthur Scargill was due to address three meetings in Wales
Around 40 people had gathered at Narberth, Pembrokeshire, to hear the man who led the National Union of Mineworkers during the dispute 20 years ago speak on Wednesday evening.
But they were told he was in hospital following the accident at Sheffield railway station earlier in the day.
Mr Scargill is being kept in hospital to allow surgery to heal.
Wednesday evening's meeting, organised by the NUM and Socialist Labour Party, went ahead in his absence.
After the accident, he was taken to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield by ambulance, where
he arrived at around midday on Wednesday, a spokesman for the hospital said.
"He was assessed by nursing staff where it was discovered he had broken a
bone in his elbow.
Mr Scargill was due to start a short tour of Wales, addressing further meetings at Swansea on Thursday evening and Maesteg on Friday.
Organisers said both will go ahead but Mr Scargill would not be present.
A spokesman for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said Mr Scargill would be kept in hospital overnight on Thursday.
He said: "We have decided to keep Mr Scargill in overnight just to allow the elbow surgery to heal a little more before discharging him.
"There's no problem at all and it's quite routine."