the face of court writs.
But defeating the NGA, or the Stockport 6, is one thing. Defeating the NUM is another.
It was obvious even in December that while the government Will LICi backing of the TUCs new policy, could pick off and defeat individual groups of workers it did not have the power to impose the anti-union laws the miners. the Ford workers, or on the TUC unions as a whole.
This is why right from Mith the NUM was abe he strugg far more even than the miners vital as that struggle is. It was about the government's ability to impose entire framework of law it had erected on the whole trade union movement.
Illegal Linked to that however Even is another sucoun the defeat oI inalviala unions such as the NGA, vas possible only becaus the TUC General Counci voted to operate within the Tebbit laws. The united weight of the trade unions easily had the power to break any court decision - as the TUC day of açtion on GCHQ, which was technically illegal, again demonstrated Imposing the anti-union laws was completely interlinked for the government with maintaining of right wing leadership the TUC which would accept these laws.
ni cother of the TEC wing control of the which in d second decisive issue at stake for the government. Scargill's leadership of the NUM represents the section of the trade union movement most resolutely opposed to bit laces To isolate and laws. isolate and completely defeat Scargill within the TUC possible within the itself, is therefore the second need of the government Example The development of the has already created just what the government teared 'The alliance to boycott coal by the TGWU, the NUR ASLEF the NUS. is the emergence of the type of within the the government cannot ford. It was already there around the NGA dispute For Thatcher this left must be defeated now, before it can gain any victories In that the government has the backhanded, and in some cases conscious, upport of the right win of the TU Len Murray Alastair Graham. all! Frank Chapple's realism' would be completely discredited as the dominant line in the TUC if the miners were to win.
anonymous UlC member Council told The Times on Mat day 'The trouble Arthur Scargill wins, it is a victory for the National of Mineworkers, if he loses, it is a defeat for all of us.
That is something we must be very conscious of.
Furthermore Scargill stands all sorts of forces in the Labour Party. Tony Benn has plunged into supporting both th miners Liverpool while Kinnock has remain.
ed silent on the miners and let it be known he oppose the poly or Liverpoo council. If the miners win Kinnock's position in the will be weakened the left wing greatly strengthened A Tony Benn linked to constitutional the Labour • Party was bac enough. But a Tony Benn linked to victorious miners with massive victory over Thatcher under the unions belt, and with struggle in Liver pool in erospect is nich ideas which capitalist nightmares made. Go into next years struggle over rate capping and the big cities wịth that combination around and the future of the Thatcher government itself would not be a certain one. Laws For Thatcher she has already cutered tactical setbacks in the strike.
laws still cannot be used against the NUM - • as MacGregor's retreat on court action the Yorkshire NUM showed. Scargill has got out on strike a far larger miners than the NCB anticipated Thoringhamshire toas of Nottinghamshire kept the pits there working CVCl that can be nullified if the transport boycott of the movement of coal can be made effective In the fourth week of the dispute whole strategy rests on the right wing of the NUM ex ecutive, and the right win of the TUC irons out and defeating the strike isolating the NUM If just one push were MacGregor's the confrontation would come crushing down and the Thatcher government's all alcal with it.
Socialist Action 6 April 1984