ACTioN THE VOTE in the Nottinghamshire division in the NUM itself, like the area majority vote against strike action, before they moved.
Now, encouraged by the vote the government have moved pickets. From an office on the 13th floor in Scotland Yard - with its 'hot line Leon Brittan al Home Office - Ine word has gone out to get the flying I wenty thousand police have been mobilised in a militarystyle operation. Roads have been blocked. Cars with miners have been turned back at the Dartford and Blackwall Tunnels which are miles away from Nottingham.
If their drivers insisted on the right to go on, the police threatened them Coach firms have been told that if they will arresL.
Lalsoult pickets their driver's vehicle keys will be impounded. Whilst have not yet arrived at the police state this 'stop the pickels operanon gives us a nasty insight into what a future lor Britain is going to look like.
The government must have cast a grateful glance direction Neil Kinnock when nounced violence - which needless to say was an ad monishment of the pickets and not a criticism of the police. They know now that Labour's Front Bench isn't going to give them any trouble.
1 ney confident that they wont get any trouble from the Police clash with pickets at Agecroft colliery Salford coalfield TUC. are confident that the debacle Warrington, will hang on areas of the NUM which voted as a lifeline to out'. Most of the right wing hate Scargill and the left leaders of the NUM more than they hate the Tories. They reckon a defeat for the NUM militants strengthens their grip the TUC and weakens the left opposition.
Bob Pennington The miners are fighting for the right of the trade unions to defend their inwithout the threat ICICOLN of police interference, provocation and intimidation. Mass picketing defiance of the Tebbit laws anu ODCI is the only way the unions can defeat the government's anti-trade legislation Last week's successful picketing showed this and was in glorious Controvo or the tine cumoaowi to MacGregor, NUM leaders and their rank and file have given a message of hope to all working people. They have said there is nothing inevitable about Pickets stopping cars at Agecroft pit unemployment. It can and fought. The miners have shown by militancy LICH courage that they have an alternative to the policies of collaboration meekly offered by the TUC.
This is why Thatcher and her cabinet are hel bent on eds The labour the NUM leaders. The movement MUSI recognise this. The leftleaders the IGWI the NUR, the POEU, and the FBU etc have to conclusions about what is happening and what is at stake.
If the miners go down, then these unions will be next in line. And they wil be in a much worse posttion to defend themselves This is he hiners. eno support the miners.
fortunately Murray's TUC has no intention of doing that.
A rallying cry should headquarters in Sheffield out the NUM calling on these unions who support the NUM to attend discuss solidarity strike action with the miners. This has also got to be the main message coming out of this weekend's BLOC conference.
The trains must bE stopped, water sup plies should be cut off telecommunications should be cut - especially those from Scotland Yard ana nol one ounce o! coal should be moved This is a serious situation The face the possibility of a big defea - or gaining a huge vicA victory can still br But it car only br WOn won by the united actio of the left trade union:
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against strike action triggered a plan the Thatcher government had drawn up long ago. Last week the government hung back as the fly- ing pickets flowed into the coalfields. They wanted a
over GCHQ and NGA. sayin he