dous significance which has resounded around the world — a conflict which has transformed the lives of those who stood and tought against the National Coal Board's disastrous pit closure programme — a conflict which has inspired workers in this and other countries to defend the right to work.
The National Mineworkers has challenged the very heart of the capitalist system. have refused to accept that any industry capitalist society whether public or private sectors — has the right to destroy the livelihood of men and women at the stroke of an accountant's pen. Our challenge has been met with savagery precedented in any time of union history.
The pit closure programme announced by the Board on 6 March 1984, was a deliberate action, designed to provoke our union into either taking strike action or backing down in the face of Coal Board policy. Backing down, some delegates in this room may recall, as the union did a number years ago. November 1983 the union had ben operating a highly successful overtime For Coal, winning support both in ban, building an effective 'Campaign mining areas and in the wider community. The NUM was taking the arguments for saving pits and jobs to our members and their families in a. way which never been before, Faced with this. unity of action, the Coal Board began a new tactic, using closure announcements to cut across and violate all our industry's Now, four was accomplished, of We next stage of our fight.
right that trace this week would have been ternational capital.
Since Thatcherism astronomic.
government — a weak, collaborationist, months after our tion return to work, it is essential to look back over the first crucial phase of our fight for the future, examine what and determined where our union and its members go from here. It is vital that the union analyses the events of 1984-85 in order and to utilise the experience in the The Coal Board's pit closures programme for 1984-85 was not carried out. It was not carried out because the miners tooks strike action! And I feel we should remined ourselves, that had it not been for the action of this union, our conference taking place with 25 pits that are still open, already having been closed. It was the ing communities which delivered the worst blow ever dealt to the Thatcher government, and created a crisis in inThe cost of the miners' strike to has been truly In their crusade against the NUM and trade unionism, this robbed taxpayers of £8 billion (more than eight times the cost of the Falklands War), Photo: MARK SAI MON as they sought desperately to defeat the miners and destrov the vationa Union of Mineworkers: History will record this was a colossal act of vandalism by a monetarist Tory government which in order to survive requires a high pool of unemployment For nonexistent trade union movement - and Trade unionism and nationalisatotally abhorrent MacGregor. His union-busting record in the United States speaks for itself, and it was because of that record that he was brought over to Britain (to the eternal shame of the last Labour government), first British Leyland and then to British Steel, before being instructed to butcher British coal.
His attitude not only trade unions but parliament itself has Deen demonstrated within fortnight - first by his disdainful dismissal of the Conservativedominated Employment Select Comcarcerated by this government. Their only crime was fighting for the right to work, and an amnesty for them, as well as reinstatement for all who have been sacked must be amongst this union's first priorities. lan MacGregor's contempt this country to within па: demonstrated by reached last autumn with NACODS, towards which incorporated a new modified Colliery Review Procedure. You will the last recall that this procedure was describLed by Ian Walker, by Margaret Thatcher, as being "sacrosanct' NiCeste destroyed for have and those who work also just been the Board's total of the agreement miners' MacGregor, by Peter belief. Under his direction, local and area management of the Board have embarked on a vendetta of draconiar which have deliberately long-established customs and practice within our industry. We seen industrial relation: dismantled as Board managemen! takes on an increasingly hard line against our members.
There is no denying that th have been brought to a swift and successful con clusion within a very short space of time but for a number of importan factors which had a major effect or the attitude of both the Coal Board and the government.
Sarialist Action 19 July 1985 win Conference will recall following our special delegate conference on the 19 1984, which reaffirmed democratic decision to endorse strike action in accordance with Rule 41, the i union's call on all areas to support the dispute not followed tinghamshire, South Derbyshire Leicestershire. We are now analysing what should have taken place in various We're analysing those things to point out that if those steps had been taken, the strike would have drawn to a swift conclusion, and let this Checce examine those facts in a sober and detailed fashion.
In refusing to respond to a call from the vast majority of their colleagues already on strike, and — more impor- by refusing to respect picket lines, those who continued to work producing coal provided a life-line to the Tory government as it waged class war against the NUM. There have been comment, from critics, and even some colleagues, that had we held an individual ballot vote the outcome of our dispute would the by NotFor been suggesting oil, power station workers made it impossible for us to really mount an effective campaign. workers had simply guidelines the oil burn would not have increased from 5 to 40 per cent. And they could have prevented, simply by following guidelines that they had in 1974.
Fifthly, the abject refusal by leaders of the ISTC to mobilise and coordinate the same degree of support for the NUM that we gave to steel workers in 1980 not only betrayed every tenet of the Triple Alliance, but actually forced and provoked the battles of Orgreave, Ravenscraig and Llanwern.
The British Steel Corporation has admitted that without the cooperatior of the steel unions they could not have kept going, and the Coal Board would thus have been put pressure to negotiate with the NUM. But any address of this kind would be hollow, and would fail to take into account all the factors to which I have previously referred, if we also did not say at this stage, that in spite of all that's taken place, if steelworkers or any other workers face attack, union will adopt a principled position of supporting workets in struggle.
The government's transport operation, the lines of the Ridley Plan, to convey coal, coke and iron ore to power stations and steel works only proved effective because the power and steel unions failed to respect picket lines and stop deliveries.
I think that we should pay tribute, at the same time as pointing to a weakness, to the magnificent support we obtained from the National Union of Railwaymen, from the National Union of Seamen, f the power Statiol operated the SULICES.
against the NUM.
partially general council's under intense receiver for the this vive.
massive mounted from ASLEF, and of the Transport and industry, and in the way that they decimated the British car industry at BL There is also the failure of the TUC to translate into positive action decisions taken at the 1984 congress. And it was this, according to well-informer that led the Coal Board to a change of attitude, and they saw it as a green light to intensify their attacks Had the guidelines supporting the NUM adopted by congress been even implemented, the pressure upon the Coal Board and the government would have been intense, and a negotiated settlement inevitable There can be no excuse for the TUC rerusal lo providt desperately needed financial assistance to this union following sequestration and receivership. The appointment of a precedented, and is associated with the new Tory legislation - - and yet, eight months after receivership was imposed NUM, the £400,000 fund established in a blaze of glory by the TUC at the 1982 Wembley conference remains intact — while we fight to surThey should recognise that this been hijacked and they should give financial support to this