Photo: courtesy NUM Peter Heathfield, General Secretary NUM pose Derby isn't tain people within the union to compel an individual ballot. The national executive felt the purof a ballot at this would be to say to striking miners we have a right of veto over your etforts to defend your jobs. That's completely unsatisfactory. It was a device to end the dispute.
Consequently we decided to have a special conference to enable rank file members involved in the • original decision to introduce an overtime ban to have their sav about the direction we should be travelling. The delegates are working miners, selected by the area they represent.
It is sad that Nottingham, South and Leicester have not fallen into line. Had there been an mediate response should have been in a position to conclude the dispute quickly. Traditionally, Nottinghamshire has had a different attitude to industrial conflict, because it is an area less affected by closure problems.
In the 1920s and '30s Notts broke awav from the Miners' rederation. under the right wing leadership of a bloke called Spencer. In our view. Spencerism still thrives The problems for mining are the same throughout the country. Notts immune. The executive recognises the miners can't win this struggle alone. We need the assistance of trade unionists generally, and particularly the transport unions who played an important part in our 1972 and "74 victories.
We are developing a strategy based on the support we've had from the scallcil. the rall workers and transport and general workers. their help, this strike is having a considerable impact.
There is ample evidence that the down the effects. We have been made aware of a government edict that no coal-stock figures will be given for the remainder of the dispute. stage TUC. We have no intention of asking for their assistance at this moment in time.
ASLEF had over and the problems of the NGA at Warrington win this dispute.
received the out-and-out support of the Labour bewildered that they speak of a ballot as if they believed it would resolve the problem. It won't.
Welsh men, Scotsmen, from the North East will not allow people working in profitable pits to deny them the right to defend their jobs.
was pretty miserable mainly to a call for a ballot. The Labour leadership should be calling on the covernment to muervene to rearec MacGregor to enable us to return to work and continue producing the coal this nation requires trom consuluency parties, siderable support from the Campaign Group of MPs. This includes constituencies areas where miners are continuing to work.
indicates throughout the whole labour movement that this is not only the miners' struggle. I think it's a recognition that if the miners fell on this occasion, then the labour the crumble.
With In many worse than the situation the miners faced in 1926. decimation of the the police We are very wary of involving the We're mindful of the problems flexible rostering date, legislation. — and we're determined to We are disappointed we haven't leadership. I'm Yorkshire men, it. and miners vul Neil Kinnock's recent statement - it amounted ensure our oblivion We're had a tremendous response involved.
and con- terested in - and trades councils — in To win, recognition port MacGregor movement would ways this onslaught is After virtual NUM, the remedia generally, the government and hardly the traditional allies of the labour movement.
The police are implementing Tory anti-union legislation. The same bob bies will be knocking lumps out of those miners if they try to defend their jobs in six, 12 or 18 months time. TO , we've made a nonsense of the When the government took out an injunction, we thought they intended to activate it straight away. That would have been to our advantage. They'd have paid a price. . Mrs Thatcher recognised that too. She's got to make her mind up to use it or scrap Personally I think she will try to break the miners' will by having a go She has I coulles pathalogical hatred of the unions particularly the miners after 1974. She will use all the forces at her disposal to defeat. •Otherwise, she would travel the path of Heath into This introduces another element into the formula. Perhaps it accounts for the reluctance of some Labour Party leaders to see the party actively But at this stage, I'm inseeing miners vic. torious — we'll deal with the conse. quences thereafter first of all we mus. develop maximum unity within the NUM. Then the response from other unions will intensify. Solidarity is noi an act of altruism, ll s an act oi material self-interest. If enough supContes other unions will have his terms of reference modified, he'll negotiate.
Miners are determined to defend their jobs and their industry. I'm confident the NUM national executive Will get a vote of confidence at next Thursday's meeting.