ON JULY the Financial Times and the Telegraph jointly leaked the NCB's plans on pit closures. They showed the Coal Board intends to close fifty pits under the next phase of its programme and axe minimum of 50,000 jobs.
These 'leaks' totally confirm Arthur Scargill's claim that the real long term aim of the Coal Board and government is to close 70 pits and lose more than 70,000 jobs. The NUM's claims had always previously been dismissed by the government and NUM right, wing as 'alarmism'.
The brunt of the threatened closures Yet when Watson, the scab at the Phurnacite to be in the peripheral coalfields of Scotland, South Wales, Kent. NIGEL BEVAN, GRAHAM ATWELL, DARRYL report. tention to close Penrhiwceiber colliery.
ment in the Valley is in excess of 35 per cent.
GRAHAM ATWELL reports.
Pit closures in South Wales nave become almost week v occurrence since the end of the strike. The NCB no longer needs to make any secret of their axe many more collieries. So far the board has announced th closure of Bedwas and Si Johns in mid-Glamorgan, Markham Celynen South Gwenty Treforgan West Glamorgan, as well Penrhiwceiber.
The number of lost job places in these pits will iotal more than 3,500 although only a tew hundred miners have left the industry so far. by the NCB.
ed during the 1984-5 strike.
pits in Kent nounced that it was closing Tilmanstone.
DARRYL the threatened closure.
THE NCB has been accus ed of planning the closure of an additional pits with the loss of 50,000 jobs. How was the closure of Tilmanstone revealed? There was no negotiation about Tilmanstone or any other pit. The closure was LAST THURSDAY the NCB announced their inThe anThere is a widespread belief that Penrhiwceiber is being closed due to its long tradition of militancy.
Whilst Bedwas, Celynen South and Treforgan closures, miners at St.
Markham Penrhiwceiber have relected the board's nans despite intense pressure especially directed at older miners.
The closure plans will now go to the new review procedure, although une NCB are adamant that the collieries will detinitely The South Wales NUM has remained almost completely silent whilst the closures are going through. Last week president Terry Kent under attack THE KENT coalfield, like other NUM areas with a militant tradition, has been progressively run down 1956 5,000 miners were employed in Kent. This had dropped to 3,500 in 1972. Now, after the latest spate oi redundancies, there are only 1.500 Betteshanger, Tilmanstone and Snowdown. Snowdown was one of the five 'hit list' pits whose threatened closure sparked off the 1984 On 29 June this year the NCB anHILLGROVE talked ROGER GODFREY, secretary of Tilmanstone NUM, about TiME forefront of fights agalnst social lyusuice.
Kent area, coming in the all cill South, something of an anomaly.
A lot of victimised miners have ended up there, hence its tradition of militancy, There is little sea of militancy in an otherwise Tory area.
What is the future for the Kent coalfield!
The ai achiered SEcE The region bett the Neat coalfreid is non-industrial ployment area. What are the possibilities for sacked and redundant miners to get other jobs?
Our has unemDiotment rate of li per cent. Having said that a large number Thomas ruled out any further industrial action. Despite its so called 'alternative strategy' for taking the fight into the community the Wales Congress in Support of Mining Communities has also remained silent.
The response of the Parti in Glamorgan Closures has been a capi paign by Ray Powell, MP Ogmore, expell from the Labour Party St Johns lodge secretary Ian Isaacs as a supporter of the Unity It has been largely left шо не cv elop their own campaign against closures. St Johns has led a vigorous public an independent enquiry in Cardiff last week chaired - former have already locally, that left the industry. with the redundancies have gone through, and they seem to be getting jobs. Perhaps employers looking for breakers. but on the tact of it, they are not finding it difficult to get other work.
When was the Kent coalfield taken out of the South Midlands area? We were in the South Midlands area financially administratively.
Three weeks after the re. cent strike ended an anwithout any consultation with the NUM that were now out of the South Midlands area. No reason was given for this. We can only assume that it is the forerunner to the closure of the Kent coalfield. Just after the decision to take uS out of the South Medlands area the ciosure Tizarcone d2 a7How are the workers at Thaaastone fighting Hie reject the plan for Losure so we are going to give Meanwhile cave plan to that of the NCB.
go secretary of NUPE The enquiry received reports Andrew Glyn of Oxford university, as well as a full geological survey from a NCB geologist The reports all emphasiser that the cost of closing Si Johns is far in excess of the tained, and that further in. vestment could result the colliery becoming fitable even in then pro terms.
Clearly if there is to be any chance of stopping the Coal Board through their plans South Wales NUM must launch a general campaign agains all the pit closures. With little prospect of any acLeadership he present are leadership vital that lodges wheel • unreal l together and produce their back against the NCB'S closure plans.
Our own engineers have approved this plan. In the mean time we are looking to all the labour movement and all the public to apply the Government and the NCB.
The appeal meeting won't take place TOI number of months. We have leaflets, stickers, petitions and speakers who will speak anywhere about the proposed closur The Kent area is depen dent coalfield Everyone is going to sufter. The coalfield puts £24 million into the local economy each year. That will end if the pits go. We are trying to broaden our fight out so the local com munity realises what is at The Aylesham miners miners' wIVeS organising 'Mines no wiselles evenl lor thres days over the August Bank holiday. This be • broadened out to take in the defence of Tilmarstone.
The proposed dosure of Timeanstone appears part of a pattera of action ti the NCB that has bets resentd since the ero o A number of closure have been announced and about ten or these reached the apper cedure. This is a prove _= that has not beer.
posed it utor us.
Timares one ancie appeare help in the ligh: agai
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Photo: GM COOKSON NO PIT CLOSURES!
THATCHER MYDECAD
nouncement drew an angry response from Cynon Valley MP Anne Clwyd who pointed out unemploy-
mining jobs left. Fifty miners from Kent were sack- In 1969 the Chislet pit closed leaving only three