Steel Corporation he declared his intention to make it 'leaner and fitter'. The closure of the Lewis Merthyr pit in South Wales has shown that whoever becomes boss at the MacGregor's schemes for profit and carve up will rule.
The butchery won't USL aicei vool.
Whole coal fields will go.
Redaced will be outoul concentrated in a limited number of super-pits and new computerised systems used to double productivity.
In theory this could for NuCaf Stoaler ROSIS miners and cheap coal for Ivor England (Maerdy lodge 'secretary)
THIS IS a serious setback, and we shouldn't underestimate it. But we're not down, we'll regroup:
Lewis Merthyr was the first pit 1 worked at.
It was the first pit to vote against the 1914-18 war as an imperialist war.
This closure isn't about economics - it's our traditions they're tryinhe boys boys in some areas have false opImsi• lucre s a prolec• tionist factor . with the boys thinking they' ve got job security and investment. There is a barrier when people think of their JUICRARC video.
But when the barrier is broken through, and it can be as we've shown in Wales, they say with it and the fight is on.
I mat is wily it is a trageds that we lost the momentum with the ballot. National Coal Board, stead tie electricity. Inthe new technolog) will be used to squeeze more profits out of fewer miners.
This almost ucails total closure for the pits in South Wales, Scotiana North East. means picking off as many DIls as possible Lancashire, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Kent.
The NUM estimate a minimum of 70,000 JODS lost. They argue it is an atIt'll be super-pits on super wages, then hiving off to private enterprises. South Wales will cease to exist. We've got to get a LralcA LUPCLICE IU LULI at this. We've got to ge intelligent way of fighting back.
We ve learned lessons. Links have been made. There is a rank and file closeness that was never there before.
Links have been made with Scotland, Nottingham, Yorkshire This will stand us in good future. was breathtaking was noCIl worth more than anything. The boys learn more from a day's struggle than all the dialogue.
Young new leaders lare emerging. We have build on the rank and file links strengthen these leaders. strength of the miners' union and militant areas like South Wales. Arguments about safety and economy go out of the window as the government replaces coal with nuclear power and oil, which is 35 per cent more costly.
The NCB slimdown has involved investment starvation for the South Wales pits. In 1982, investment covering the 24,000 west workiorce Canlc lo £14.5 million, compared £452.5 million for the 14,600 workforce in North Yorkshire Talk of financial viability dominated the Lewis Merthyr closure. But the NUM disproved arguments about exhaustion and geology. When the adjacent Tymawr colliery closed last year, miners were transferred to Lewis Merthyr. The NCB promised them work for 8 15 years. But these bicares cvabulaicu as the Board refused the necessary investment.
Hope was offered of Margam near Port Talbot jobs planned nonpolluting system for smokeless fuel at the Phurnacite plant near Aberdare.
But the Margam project has been shelved indefinitely anete pilot system depends on a Government 1ccuila development grant neither nuvelelt. of which have materialised.
Last month the NCB parcelled Welsh pits into three groups based on present profitability 'bleeder pits to be closed' 'pits of uncertain life', 'possible Contributing pits'. This is the clenrest evidente vel lidi the NCB plan to decimate militant collieries avocal the hit list of 'bleeders' 'uncertain' pits. In 1981 the Welsh miners' strike forced the Tories to make a 'U turn' on closures. Many miners thought the return to work was premature and based on empty promises.
Job losses across the British coal field have reached 23,328 since 1981 as pits are picked off and starved of investment. December 1982, South Wales miners again voted NCB failed guarantee recruitment, £400 million investment, a survey of reserves and investment for the Margam new mine.
In the ballot, only 2 out of 33 pits voted against action. Dall South Wales executive proposed oos ulcilcill of the January action on the thinnest promises NCB director Weekes. Weekes didn't even turn up to consultation meetings When the Blaengwrach pit closed at the beginning of the e yeax waten evidence exhaustion, Lewis Merthyr were worried about trade offs against pledges of investment elsewhere Within days of their pit 1981 the South Wales spark threatened to ignite a national strike incales • defeat has been a setback. But sup port for a jobs fight is still growing in South Wales In February 1981 only teree pits were against e return January decision to was opDUstoUlc acuiul posed by over ten pits Leading militants convinced they have drawn vital lessons for the battles to come. Tyrone O'Sullivan Paul O'Sullivan We are defiant. We're not beaten because we're going to come back fighting. We've learned lessons the last weeks. We've used LIC CUCE do this, but we've got words without action no The Nottingham people said they wanted a ballot but they wouldn't • What went wrong. p.12 Tyrone O'Sullivan (Tower lodge secretary) IT'S THE right place and the right year to take action, no matter what people say. And that's not just GM COOKSON to save pits and jobs It would for the Labour Party.
The biggest mistake we made was go for halot. We were buding up the momentum when weni flat.
This defeat has taugh us many iessons, We'v wedge of a rank and file who are goTrelewis Drift cross a picket line. We've been constitutionalised oul or acuon. We're not oing to win in South with national ballots. When we went to areas we shouldn't GLICI have gone on o-mission of diplomatic persuasion. We should have picketed them out. ing for changes.
We'll not win a ballot again. There are U HEI pits with a good life thes are being used against the areas. Areas like vottinghan don't see a threat.
want to stop picket them eut. This was closures we've the lesson of the unofficial strike in 1969 We won't go back with our tail between our legs We'll prepare for the next fight.
Paul O 'Sullivan mediately. The secret ballot was the biggest mistake. Next time must spread the more rapidly by picketing and not rely on ballots 'The Coal Board is badly mistaken if it thinks this conference gives carte blanche for pit closures. Our vote went up to 6ö pe cent during the strike and this mandate for strike action against closures has not been called off.
'So when the next pit is threatened there must b another strike which has to be spread rapidly.