MINERS BEGIN a national overtime ban on Monday 31 October. This was the unanimous decision of the special mineworkers' union conference, rejected the Coal Board's 5.2 per cent pay offer.
voted to campaign for a substantial pay increase, to oppose closure of any pit unless its coal is exhausted, oppose further rundown of jobs, and to demand full talks with the NCB.
which The conference, held in London on 21 October, Durham miners join the lobby of the NUM delegate conference Dai Davies from South Wales and Alan Cummings from Durham
NUM president
thur Scargill said that overdue makes up between 12 and 14 per cent of LOCTOIS workea. In lne pits and its abolition could Creale between 30,000 jobs.
He stressed that the overtime ban 'is only the first step in our campaign to save our industry' VOSI miners understand that an overtime ban only has value prepares for more militant The NCB and its customers have built up Coal SLOCKS million tonnes, which could last six months with miners losing up to f45 a week from already stretched pay packets.
A delegation of miners from the Monktonhall colliery Scotland joined a lobby outside the They have been for five weeks against the Coal Board's refusal to comply with normal consultation procedures while imposing 300 redundancies One of the Monktonhall miners explained: 'We are determined to keep our pit open. We got support when the Scottish miners went on strike for a day our support. want the same the the whole coalfield should be shut down evervwhere' decision, another Monktonhall miner pointed out that 'an overtime ban may be okay for the pay issue, but it won't be enough to save our pit.' Dai Davies, one of thé lobbiers from the South Wales NUM echoed this. 'MacGregor out decimate the pits We could be down to as few as 12 pits in South Wales. My own pit is under threat would feel very isolated if was in the position of the Monktonhall lads who have been out on their own for 5 weeks'.
Alan Cummings, lodge secretary of the Easington colliery Durham pointed out that the NCB closure strings always said that the Board were after the pits. It's not bullshit anymore because it's clear in the pay offer.
"They are tying the 5.2 per cent pay offer demands to reduce capacity in pits they claim are a burden. They demand that "meaningful talks" should take place over capacity and that "high cost" pits should be eliminated.
lan MacGregor the NCB chief reiterated these threats last weekend, demanding more closures. Miners realise that compulsory redundancies could be on the cards by next summer if a stand is not taken. MOLES EYE VIEW
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Photo: GM COOKSON Photo: GM COOKSON