ON BEHALF OF the Mineworkers, president Arthur gave evidence to the House of Commons employment committee. reinstatement of all miners dismissed as a result of the strike, pointing out with crystal clarity the vindictive — and, between the areas, inconsistent proach of the National Coal Board under lan MacGregor's butchership. Below we reprint the major part of Scargill's report.
IN March 1984, the National Coal Board al. nounced its intention to reduce annual VULULL by four million tonnes. The Board admitted that this policy would result in th loss of at least 20,000 job: and the closure of 20 pits.
It also intimated that five collieries (Polmaise, Cortonwood, Herrington Snowdown and Bullchitle Wood) would close within a very short time scale.
Following this announcement - which was in breach of all accepted procedures in the mining industry, in particular the Colliery Review Procedure miners in individual coalfield areas took strike action. By mid-March, 80 cent of the National membership was involved committee at the end of May, NUM included:
Notts The Board had adopted a discriminatory of the NCB, compared with the North Derbyshire area.
and three at Creswell colliery in the against the others.
National of Scargill recently He put a forceful case for the - apthe major the the vast them the rules 'natural plete Coal Board used arrest (regardless conviction the SISSIE IN HIS submission to the parliamentary president Arthur Scargill highlighted, area by area, cases of miners unfairly dismissed by the area Coal Board management. They approach which can be shown very clearly by examples from the North Nottinghamshire area Approximately 30 miners employed at Whitwell colliery in the North Derbyshire area, Nottinghamshire coalfield were involved in an incident at Whitwell colliery and subsequently charged with unlawful assembly. Four of the men charged were allowed during the strike, to return to work and the charges against them were dropped. At the trial these four were used as prosecution witnesses but the judge intervened on the grounds that these men had to work together after the dispute and he said these working miners should not be giving evidence Following consultation between the barristers, it was agreed that if the men pleaded guilty the judge would give them a lenient sentence and the case would be terminated on the understanding that the Coal Board would reinstate them when the dispute was over. The parties subsequently pleaded guilty, were each fined £7 and ordered to do community services.
The North Derbyshire area of the Coal Board have honoured their part of the bargain and all the Whitwell employees have been reinstated.
This policy dismissing mineWORKELS basis of statements made by who had returned fiance of policy The Board has dictiveness previously MacGregor, speaking the Sunday ple discovering decision the trom the But despite the undertakings given, the Creswell men have been refused reinstatement by the North Notts area .
Midlands In the Midlands area an incident took place involving two men who were on strike and one who was at work. Although all three men were charged with assault, only the two striking miners were dismissed. The case was heard in the Crown Court and Messrs Edwards and Bolton — the striking miners, and the working miner were all bound over to keep the peace.
Yorkshire In the Yorkshire coalfield, the story is the same.
Although the NCB is taking a discriminatory approach in all four areas of Yorkshire, it strategy has been applied with particular harshness in the Doncaster area.
Rossington colliery illustrates the situation. Rese alleged to ha lassated a wring miner and were dismissed from their employment. The case never went to court and all charges have been dropped but the Coal Board has refused to reinstate them.
Durham The case of Mr H Parkin in Durham is again an example of how Board policy varies from area to area. He was involved in an alleged assault on a working miner whilst picketing at Bilston Glen colliery in Scotland. He was found not guilty.
in, for example, North Derbyshire have been reinstated by the Board, Mr Perkin was dismissed in Durham.
Kent not one has been reinstated although most of th sackings were for minor offences.
During the occupation of Betteshanger colliery in June 1984, Mr Leonard, who lives very near the pit, was dismissed by the Board because he had taken food across the pit yard to feed the men involved in the occupation.
the case of the Betteshanger NUM branch official, Mir T Harrison.
Mr Harrison obtained the permission of local persuade the men to end the occupation. For his pains, Mr Harrison was sacked and has so far not been reinstated.
dispute. That SUCI total of those still not reinstated in 67l.
These figures present a sharp contras! the public statements spokesmen of the Nationa Coal Board, who timated prior to the end of the strike that possibly 80 cent of all those dismissed would be reinstated, and that only The case of Mr H Day and Mr G Deakin of Whilst men found guilty of the same offence But even more bizarre than that dismissal is During the occupation, NCB management to go into the mine to try and 'NCB wants our blood': Scargill's evidence to the employment committee shows just how right the slogan is those termed persons who had acts vandalism against Coal violence employno be con chairman Com the Board not take mitted of vandalism that all considered directors out outlining The submission committee substantiates this Doll On page the the that as critera re - employ ment, it instructed employ has followin •CUI tion dismissed on evidence to • to Home of National only eight offences fall within that fall within the ed in the cent all those would draw to this INTS than a handful of cases in eache NUM wishes The make it clear that we will continue to fight for the reinstatement of all dismissed miners because we feel that if a person has been convicted of an fence by a court of law, has already paid the penalty to society and should not be punish. ed twice for the same offence.
The Coal Board has refused to allow cases of dismissed mineworkers to be taken through the Coa Industry Scheme which would pro vide for 'any or all of the cases to be submitted to an independent umpire in individual area, or if the Board wishes, to the Coal Industry's National Reference Tribuna The Board, despite its stated Cultie has parently taken a decision discriminate against employees depending on the in which they work. This discrepancy in respect of reinstatement among individual areas is patently obvious clearly calls for intervention In North Derbyshire South Wales, the Board have followed policy resulting reinstatement for nearly all those who were dismissed. In other areas, Scotland, and the North East, area directors behaving Scotland, the director, that none the miners reinstated.
The for 'cern alarm.
dismissed without the opportunity their sen evidence own other employees including behaviour now many cases where the courts nevertheless while the system has people the guilty..
COOKSON Coal unions to NCE strategy is complete variance accepted The man in industry, out destroying already ment.
Plan with Britisl incoal. part of injobs.
sense The Coal which, changed disrupt
Socialist Action 14 June 1985
----- pull-quotes -----
I by legal