NO DETAILS of any pay offer until the NUM signs surrender document market mentality. That, in a nutshell, was the Coal Board's position in five hours of fruitless and insulting talks.
When the NUM'S negotiating team reported the position to the national executive committee, the unanimous angry - response of the NEC was that everv ettort should be made to expose the Coal Board the membership as a whole. NEC anger further meleo ov that the talks with the were held on the firm understanding that an offer Lallullai grade rates would be made.
The position had been spelled out in a letter to the NUM Board's •e usuad canons Kevan Hunt. After rejecting wholesale the union's claims on working hours rate protection, shift holiday pay entitlement, solidation of incentive payments into grade rates, and payment of wages on a Mihans ne wrote However, the Board are minded to make an orfer to increase national grade rates and to raise the payment for standard perormance under the incenSurene. meeting on 1 November, the Board went back on its accepting MacGregor's word point-blank rerusea lo orrer any increase on national grade rates.
They would not the barest details about any figure in mind. Only a reference to a 30p increase per shift on the incentive rate was made.
NUM negotiators persistently reminded the Board of the Hunt letter which clearly stated that the Board was "mindful' or making an orrer. The Board twisted and turned ment, coming up with absurd interpretations of the word 'mindful'.
It swiftly became apthat the whole Board strategy had been te lure the the meeting on false pretences, ensure negotiations quickly broke down and pression that the NUM aim was transparently obvious in the light of the offer made to the splitters' organisation: persuade NUM was unwilling to negotiate thus acting as a recruiting sergeant for the breakaway organisation.
But NUM negotiators immediately cut through the Board's strategy and insisted getting writing the Board's 'surrendel Lalk later' position. This information being widely cirlUW culated among miners at level, so inal the Board's tactics get the maximum exposure.
Meanwhile breakdown one one accence. by the splitters reveals notable tacts. 9 all package is tre ColL average faceworker comes off worst with 4.9 per cent.
In cash terms it breaks down as follows: £5.50 on on standard performance Live scheme For faceworkers on the Ul grade (the underground Crease Dac Tale. the lowest since the Ted Heath days of 1973. The 4.9 per cent is only achieved when the 50p payments are taken into account.
Interestingly over •30 membership around 6500 — voted against ac ceptance. Assuming that ine vast majorıty oi Notts miners remaining In the NUM (around 7000) WOlO a So Have voted against the offer, a majority for rejection would probably have been achieved In that case a minority has decided the level of pay increase the majority should get.
The in edict ble emphasis Board's Ininking was ine proposal to introduce new and additional schemes at pits and installations, making them dependent on yet higher productivity, profitability and better attendance. As Coal Board can raise its productivity demands thinking here is clear: a ally time. it wishes, the boost in incentive payments for short period providing propaganda ammunition for trying Similar tactics were used in the formation of the Spence Then, when the workforce was suitably divided, harsher and harsher productivity demands would be introduced using as a stick the threat of cheap coal from places like South Africa and Colombia.
Maximum profitability at certain pits would be achieved, setting the scene for privatisation it a Conservative government were re-elected for a third term.
of what's happening now.
Socialist Action 29 November 1985 THE NATIONAL Union of Mineworkers continues to face the concerted onslaught of the Tory government, the National Coal Board and the media hawks. That attack is coming from all sides, as the material on page three of this paper shows. But the campaign to defend the national union goes on. We reprint below a selection the The This will if we this sort ... in Warwick of the strike, but as the months went on and the