IF IT WEREN'T for scab organisations there'd be no victimised miners, argued JACK COLLINS, secretary of the Kent NUM. He explained that the Coal Board's aim is breaking the union to pave the way for bigger profits. That's why it's in the interest of the whole working class to keep fighting with the miners.
I THINK in the aftermath of the miners' strike the most important thing to note is that what our leaders miners' are pushed back, you'll all be positive things that came out of our didn't achieve what we intended to achieve, but there are generations begrandchildren who Periceman, and they're only side ars They know the difference between a miner and a scab. Hopefully they'll always remember the days when they were in a soup kitchen, and later on in stood many. many vears aco.
but they took it into the We also look at the effect and the extent or our struggle internanonally.
struggle has had a thought, has laid some seeds, in the mind of the interWhat the police have done in other major cities in Britain, wouldn't possible if the working attack and defeat the El Salvadorean peon e are the same peone who were pouring napalm on the kids in Vietsame bunch of bastards Welc prepared to starve miners' kids. And we should never forget that. Anybody who didn't support the miners is on the side of the people of that ilk.
that is being organised. The split is being organised by the bosses, by the They're not prepared to negotiate properly with Scargill, Heathfield and The bosses are doing this not just to build up the scab outfit. Since they are only concerned about profit, they are doing it for another reason as nothing. The scab union accept a little take it while it's on offer — they will treat them just like the rest of perfected. The bosses have got away with giving a little scruffy award, the see that Lynk and his gang are already closure all over the coalfield. We have only got three pits left in Kent. You'll remember it was one of our nits Snowdown - that was on the original they've gone down to a lower seam and tound it to Snowdown is about the only safe pit in Kent. That shows you the mad logic of the Coal Board.
needed to get at 37 million tons of coal. In Nottingham, at a pit called Gedling, they've got six million tons spend £10 million to get at it. So you can see what the Coal Board's came 'Scargillism'. They talk about when they come to the Hammonds and the Lynks and Brittains, they talk and McGahey: dig in, and don't let They want to shift you, not for the benefit of the miners, they want to shift you for the benefit There's an illusion that if you have a panol and lne workers vole to go on strike, then the bosses will cave in. The bosses will never cave in through I just want to finish by saying this.
America, in Africa, in the Phillipines class is winning and we are part of from the coalfields are •nere. member of Derbyshire Women's Action Group, I'm quite sure that all the women here from the coalfield today could put up just as good a case as I'm going to. Because they've had a year I want to take up one issue. There is one word that none of us accept in our vocabulary and none of us use. We do not accept the word defeat. We don't mention it. We don't talk about it's that the word defeat une that's just the type of language that the Tories keep pumping out at us 'Oh isn't it terrible that you've got to go back. It's just what pessimism, despondency and despair.
6 There is one word that none of us accept and none accept the word defeat. y 'god isn't it awful that you've been in jail all those years, you've got a great defeat on your hands.' He says: 'I'm still in jail and the struggle is my life? That's what we're saying to you tofor this last 12 months and it still is.
We're saying to you 'don't let us kind of looking back on our last year of struggle that sets some kind of for what we're still doing now, and miners went back to work.
at the positive things that happened during our year of struggle- • we need to look back at those things if we want to continue, if we want to enlarge and strengthen the movement that started coalfields you don't need your batteries recharging once a year, once a recharging every morning when you day to make it work better? We've got to convince some more people today.' election has got to be treated like an There isn't anytime for you to say 'I'm tired, I'm fed up, despondent'. We've got to say that if we don't get up and go that woman and her government will be back in another. In doing so, we hope that the National Union of Mineworkers is going to survive and we are going to do everything in our power to help it surfrom the women then I think you'll have to find out like we found out; in "If you want to learn any lessons from the women then I think you'll have to find out like we found out:
We found out several things. We unorganised women come together in action with a clear purpose and a become a ve kind call And of oppression against any kind of threats. the kind of attitude we had in the strike, and that we are still trying to We didn't go round through all the red tape saying to people 'write a letter to the trades council and ask them if we can have a meeting'. We said to them: 'We've got a centre, we food. Come and see us, we're here, not only in our country, not just in every town, not just in every village, but in every other country as well.
You've got to cast your net wide, and got to make those liaisons make very simple demands but we've got a positive attitude, and we learn strike. Not just about ourselves, but that we've got a heritage we have to defend. A lot of those women didn't know anything about that heritage before. We found out that we weren't before. It's been done for years. every country, by women in the trade as well. It took the Ford for not doing what we should have done in a year! I'm telling you look also learned a lot about parliament, about local government, trying to put that to good use now need to tell you that. we've got a long way to go yet. But we're not giving We're not saying its too hard and we've got to give up'. We're going to keep chipping away at it. We've got to Hake some bedaway somewlicie say in things. Even if we're only doing it in our communities and areas in a very small way, nevertheless we're do ing it where we didn't do it before After the miners strike, a lot of elected as school governors. They are thinking about local politics, and say ing 'I want to be in on this to the council meeting and listened to all those people talking. I think: I could have said that. they're talking about.' They're think We've found out also that we're joining hands and linking with a lot of 6 We joined up with the Greenham women. We've linked up with all kinds of women in all kinds of struggle. We've found out that the more people you can unite and the more you spread your net, then you learn it's the same struggle — you're all in it together.9 women from a lot of other areas of the picket line with the NUPE women because their jobs have been privatis They come to our meetings and we go and the Greenham women We've with al kind women in all kinds of struggle. We've found out that the more people you can unite, and the more you spread your net and the more you find out that I think the women, more than anyone, created during the strike. We have to answer all the questions about
re for the trade union movement. When the miners were discovered that the union work. It was there in our homes and communities We've got foster that oncept of trade unionism. Everything a trade union fights for is of great concern to every member of family the future of your communities.
"They've got the wealth, the power, the money We've got to get that over to people, that the trade union isn't just at work: A trade union is at work and at home and in your community. everyone's concern together. got to fight for those principles of that make unions strong.
We wouldn't have any talk then about how trade unions have much power, because everyone would it's necessary understand wny trade unions to have that kind of power. So let's get out and preach that concept of trade unionism.
Ivoting al all das changea silice the end of our strike. Indeed every aspect of our struggle has become more acute. The miners are back at There's tremendous hardship work. still in the coalfield areas. everybodys descending can't DHus on now. The conditions in the pits are very difficult and the miners now know what it's like to be underground without a strong and eftective trade But I can tell seething anger and unrest in every pit.
In Derbyshire, ended, hasn't been a without a strike over something or olner In one pil three pits at a time.
The women are still here. haven't got quite so many people in our groups. But they're there and they're still supporting. Now it is the activists who are keeping the women's groups going, and we need to do this.
I don't think it's out of any kind of benevolence that the police, and the law courts, are dropping all these wasn't at two reasons.
ford their image to communities. have i know this is true them how community police those kids in the ths ago. strike it'll bite him again. take any notice of them.
Secondly they can't afford, to have anyone sympathetic their original plans for 1 Its We've government cloud cuckoo land.
t00 tor NUM's tunas.
back where they started meddley.
6We've People because them you there's of this union has since this strike week November: No and sometimes ribbons, no bills for paper.
We and the other. Because find the money for that, naven t got ally.
pay about denied this cases of miners that are coming up. I think they're having to drop them for task.
The first is they can't afcommunities. They an afred te being spoilt They afford to peopie think worse about them In our areas they're sending the police with the dogs round to all our schools to tel "nice and friendly' our local We say • to al schools: 'That's the out dog that bit your dad's leg a few monAnd if your dad comes out or So don't don't want, reeling towards 1 time. or the siers the miners If there's anybody in are still betoday who believes that this can't, won't, darer and wouldn't get rid of the leaders of the National Union of Mineworkers then I can tell you you're living in They have now removed the se questration order. But the receiver is still there. He's still in charge of the if the leaders of the NUM put one foot wrong, or one foot on the side or ine me where this government disagrees, then they'l! be got get isn't just at work. It's at home and in your community.
We've got to fight for those principles of trade unionism I can tell you that the receivership meanl receiver doesn't think it is necessary to pay any bills on behalf of the NUM which he hasn't done since last bills for typewriter So don't tell us we should be getting the leaflets out, and we should be doing this, that we have 1o The receiver also doesn't believe that the leaders of the NUM need any not that it matters because we've got friends who say we'll not we'll find somelning. receiver doesn't for those doesn't want to me and That man that intimidation damaging unnecessary which will are also and so are we in But they • except tell realising it.
with the miners We have to - but we've that make trade unions strong.9 for hardship and organise our own organisation.
need money for the sacked and jailed miners. And we need effort to keep their problems in front of everybody's minds We won't ever forget them and we hope you're not going to -because we won't let you.
We. need money to help all those branches of the NUM which haven't got any money to operate. There is a branch set up in every pit in Notts.
We're trying to fund them as well.
In our Derbyshire, women have been out on the picket line again signing up the Bolsover miners and helping them to remember that they voted for the NUM, they've got to stay with the NUM and they've got to fight the breakaway wherever and whenever it pops up its head. Nobody can be complacent about it, because the UDM are recruiting in every area of the coalfield. We have to understand that this is not just like Spencerism, it's Ann dangerous. Spencerism was contained within Nottinghamshire. trying to spread their net to every area of the NỰM We will be looking to all sorts of help from you kind of people. We are 'our starting the campaign with a national leaflet this women have got a leaflet out as well. We want every Labour Party branch to send in resolutions to the Labour Party to say tions from the Labour Party conference'. We want the money back that is owed to the NUM.
and we want to know that a Labour government is going to say 'that is the NUM's money'. also, that there will be no support from the TUC, or from the Labour Party, no support whatever breakaway oullil with you on an equal basis the problems munities. During the strike we kept saying 'your struggle is our struggle'. I think its coming home now. 1 know that in Chestertield we ve got more than 10,000 unemployed in our town already.
byshire.
who ve We're trying dilu vou We We noW support groups.
We're that's strong.
becaust WC our value. We've Socialist Action clear purpose.
I'm saying then ШИСИ MOTE They If you'd only but you didn't tell us now. week The Notts If you can't do it for you show you how. carry out the instruc we still do.
We want a Labour government, when we say We want to know, for We want socialist solutions to all We know where we're within our comWe know that will go up if Welli cuucallull This is a matter campaign, their pits.
We can't afLa reflex Broad.' If movement WAPC we're of • equal 22 November 1985 saying to you: 'You have that same Join in with us and together we'll be able to win.' they're saying to us Well you should have when you could have and why didn't you they ask? If you'd thought of when you sort of missed your chances muffed your task.
and why don't you you must let us lead And we said to them we're sure we did Why don't you listen If you're really our supporters you li be will us all le way And that's what I'm asking you to do now. An alliance means that you're with us — ail tic way.
PAM OLDFIELD Notts WAPC The management at the pits have refused the men access to distribute leaflets. Where the men couldn't get the women could. They couldn't sack The thing that we had to do in Nottinghamshire was to swap pits. We went to each others pits so tha The! couldn't say 'that's so and so's wife.
men couldn't put their names to explaining why people should stay in the NUM Where it wasn't being distributed we Miner through everybody's letter box...
Although things are more quiet.
the is still there. When we organised things such as socials - же campaign and for Silent Night - the women turned up in droves. That proves that the education has gone They know what it is like for ANN JONES South Wales WAPC The fight in South Wales is this. Th pressure and blackmail of the NCB i so great the men are closing their ow information on why they should sav They're There's no informatio given out on what taking redund means. They're left all to themse very difficult Against Pit Closures in South We're fighting the people we're 10 help. "Those interfering - not of the ordi and file but of the people n It's difficult for women!
anything in South Wales. Y push. And when you left' ur 'one of those Trot yUl stand up you're called all the names there's a lot and they're stre before. They've got to wi husbands to stay in the fig to have to fight agains Wates executive.
Socialist Action 22 November 1985 an upgrading of the role of the PLP, If anyone demands more than is cur-
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yncles, your grandmas, your sens and your daughters. It's their future. It's
but we've got the guts and we're staying. 9
this moment
"We're a women's movement that's strong.
going. We want to join because we know we're of equal value. 9