to Brighton passenger descended on the small Leicestershire town of Coalville last Sunday.
timidation at the hands of British Rail management for refusing to shift coal.
As Roy Butlin, local Icauci plained to enthusiastic apclause. 'Our fight is not Just about the miners' strike. It's about solidariiy, working class loyalty, standing up for what you believe in, and pursuing it to the bitter end.
'No threat, no intimidation, no aggravation wildeviate From what we are doing, because it's right. It's right to support the miners, and cee it through to ulumate victory will benefit all the working ¿lass.' The struggle to maintain unity at the depot isn't easy. Coalville is just what it sounds like which wouldn't exist if it weren't for the four local Two nave already been closed.
The landscape is dotted with stock-piled mountains of scab coal. And, as coal levels at the Trent Valley power reach danger point, both the National Coal Board and the British Rail Board are trying every trick in the book to get coal back on che trains.
Butlin reckons that with 22 million tonnes of coal sitting around, there is every chance Wlal ulc al my will be brought in. But Loe weeks management will be contiin its campaign of intimidation try LUSI the action by railworkers. Leaflet So far, the Coalville men have withstood the pressure admirably. Butlin opened the meeting by exposing the lies in a leaflet handed out bek. a the ment weCK.
latest attempt to split the management worktorce calls for a return to normal working on Monday. The leaflet states Lial men's refusal to shift coal has led to the loss of traffic Desford colliery, which shut on 24 August 83!
addition the leaflet last week, management tried to pressure the Coalville men into moving iwo trains filled with coa that have sat at the depot since 6 July.
Graham Cross, branch secretary, told the meeting searched his home, as wel Police homes of six "These searches members show just how desperate management getting, said Cross, 'and they have resulted in three sackings to date.' One the Coalville men had put CasC. the meeting heard whole speakers. Tommy Taylor, depot on the south coast Over one hundred rail trade unionists piled into secretary of Shirebrook ASLEF, reported on the severe intimidation faced by Federation members in 'Although it's a his depot. disgrace that only about 50 per cent or our membership has responded union appeals, the half of the depot which remains at work is only shifting about 20 per cent of the normal movement of coal.' Tommy Doyle, secretary of the NUR at freight depot brought 3000 South railway workers. We are no longer the sunny, days the Doyle said. 'Now there is a real threat of power cuts. The lies and threats will continue.
NUR member "Management made concessions. But South Yorkshire satisfied with what is still happening. Our branch executive committee the next meeting. of our district council will be considering a resolution to call on the national leadership to take national industrial action lo stop Hiltimidation. The answer to management must colle on a national level.' warm welcome was extended to. the NUM SocaKes. Brian Walker, branch secretary of Newstead colliery in Nottingham, Jolned the platform by Malcolm Pinnegar, one of the 'Dirty Thirty'.
Pinnegar paid tribute to 'the magnificent job of who stopping the movement of 135,000 tonnes of coal each week.' Beauvoir He mapped Oul the plans of the NCB to shut down pits up and down the country, DI Ulsills everyone jobs at the Vale Beauvoir 'Then they privatise Beauvoir.
Well it'll be over our dead bodies that any mine will returned to private auto RAIL Derby solidarity demonstration, 10 August 1984
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DELEGATIONS OF railworkers from depots stret-. ching from Tinsley freight depot in South Yorkshire.
the Labour Club to express solidarity with Coalville members who have suffered seven months of in-