All out for the NUM! Battle for Orgreave | Socialist Action 1983

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-4 of 6; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 1 of the scan

union movement to join us.' Thatcher's goal is clear. She wants a 'Saltley gate' in reverse in the heart of Yorkshire to show that action by the miners anywhere in the country. It is a decisive move by Thatcher to try to tip the strike The police operation at Orgreave negotiations the National Coal Board negotiations no doubt reflect pressure settlement to a struggle the government never imagined would last so long.

But "successful' means only one thing for this government. Thatcher cannot afford to lose this strike. There will be no 'negotiated' settlement which will halt the government's pit closure plan - unless negotiations take place won. with a gun against the NCB's head. The success of the strike is the only weapon Arthur Scargill was right this weekend when he said of the attempts by the TUC, ACAS and Labour Party leadership to 'arbitrate' over the strike: *I told the TUC and Labour Party that rather than talk about mediation, they should be asking the rest of the trade So far the support from the rank and file of the trade union movement has been magnificent. Financial support had successful one day strikes. Wales have set a day of action on 12 June.

But now the most decisive battle of the strike is being fought out at Orgreave. If Thatcher wins this fight her police state tactics will be used to smash any resistance to the attacks on the miners - and if the NUM were to lose it would be a hammer blow to the entire trade union movement. The battle at Orgreave must be won Now is the time that every pledge of support for the NUM must be turned into action. Every rank and file supporter of the miners, every leader of the trade unions and Labour Party who supports the miners must get to Orgreave. All stops must be pulled out for industrial action to support the NUM in this battle and block the operation of Orgreave coke depot.

So far there have been regional days of action to support the NUM. The urgent need now is to set the day for a national day of solidarity strikes. But first the battle for Orgreave must be • It is urgent that picketing and solidarity action for Orgreave is organised. Organise coaches and delegations from your area and workplace now. Contact Strike Committee, Yorkshire NUM, Miners' Offices, Barnsley, Yorkshire S70 2LS. Phone 0226-84006.

page 2 of the scan

Socialist Action 1 June 1984 ACTION PRESTO MINES