FRANK ARROWSMITH is a branch committee member of Yorkshire Main colliery, Erdlington, who believes the best way to win is if Thursday's NUM national executive continue Yorkshire and other areas to take action under rule 41. This, together with the sort of solidarity action which 'grinds industry to a halt', is the miners' road to victory.
dispute and commented on the Labour Party and the TUC's role.
I DON'T dispute this is a political strike. The decision to run down the coal industry is a decision by Conservative ment. It's obvious that if the miners win the government will fall because its anti-union legislation will go, its plans for its plans for the rail and the docks will go for He told Socialist Action why this is a political The response is muted. Certain characters, like Tony Benn and Skinner, openly defend the miners. They've Commons spoken in lne and they go on our picket HUCS so i don't questior their stance on the dispute As to the Labour Party as a wnole, well!
Kinnock nas made a statemen dooul violence on the picker lines. The same dar i was announc ed in the House of Comarlests Ninety-nine per cent were for obstruc tion, not violence.
The Labour Party are aner respectabilv lo wil an election. We're a very respectable uncl but WC cannot get near the pickets Nottinghamshire argue our case The TUC is a paper tiger. They aren't out to change society — they see that as the Labour Party's responsibility. The TUC should put pressure on tne Labour Party. They don't Look at the make up of the TUC. There's a lot of well-paid leaders amongst them. The press call them 'union barons'. They are never prepared to challenge political decisee themselves like in the old Keir Hardie days when they formed the Labour Party, and leave it to get on with speaking as une barnamentary alli ot That doesn't work.
The NUM didn't approach the TUC for obvious reasons. Len Murray wasn't going to say 'here we come supporting the miners'. Look at the TV interview by Sid Weighell the other night, for stance. 'Organise a ballot' says the same Sid wIlO after fiddling a ballot. Unwritten We've asked the Triple Alliance for support, but we've not yet asked them to come out on strike. The people we need supporting us are the NUR, ASLEF, the Seamen's Union the T&G. With their suD port there's no problem.
We al C asking them to go on strike, simply to follow the unwritten laws of the trade union movement: if there's an move the material involved in it.
course if our Margaret decided to use legislation, they might be forced into dispute. She's backed off using the antilaws for obvious reasons — they don't want to escalate the dispute yet. TATE VICTORY KENT AREA ORGANISE