AT THE NUM conference in July Arthur Scargill was said by some South Wales and Scottish area leaders to be 'out of touch with reality'.
Scargill argued that 'sooner British miners will have to take and united ac tion to halt the continuing disintegration of thi coal industry and the further ¡decimation of jobs.' It has become clear in the last few weeks exactly who is living in the real world In South Wales, miners voted overwhelmingly for a ban on the production of during protest the pavment of the f5.50 award. At Hatfield Main in Yorkshire miners struck on 26 August in a one-day the reinstatement of sacked miners Hatfield Main Armthorpe branches have both imposed an overtime ban as part of a long-term campaign of reinstatement for sacked miners and the outstanding pay rise thorpe who were sacked for disciplinary offence were reinstated at different pits after 'the fl million strike The Coal Board is pro. posing to close Seaham in Durham coalfield mothball the Vane Tempest colliery. The Seaham workforce voted overwhelmingly to fight the closure and a ballot of the seven organised or an overtien has ban as part of an area wide campaign.
1S this growing militancy which has given rise to the rumours of a "gesture of goodwill' the new in-coming head of British Coal, Rober Haskam - reinstatement of a substantial number of sacstanding es.50 pay rise sacked .men New attack BRITISH COAL man. agement has launched a offensive against the NUM in Leicestershire. Last year Lei cestershire miners voted decisively to stay in the NUM. But now a new attack is being launched by management headed up by the UDM organ isation.
Ellistown Bag worth pits in Leicestershire have been linked into single complex by British Coal. • Bagworth has per cent of its in the NUM whereas at Ellistowi management claims 50 per cent of the 500 workers are I the UDM organisation. Management has been treating Ellistown Bagworth union represen tation as separate so as to avoid there being an over whelming NUM majority in the compex.
Last week British Coa management unilaterall handed over the NUM of fice Ellistown the UDM - declaring that its policy was to recognise on and it was recognising UDM at Ellistown. This was despite the fact that power group workers gave the NUM a clear majorit in Ellistown This attack was met by walk out by 250 workers a