MINERS OR THE COAL E VICTORY the Because first time.
capacity.
plies.
hour on Photo: MARK SALMON EIGHT MONTHS of pounding by the police, the courts, the social security and the media has made the first small dent in the miners' strike over the last two Now the government are trying to exploit it to the full.
The endless television headlines about the 'move back to work' have as their goal to demoralise the miners and Dreak wp sondarily. but wel all is also to systematically hide the real facts of the strike. Even if the NCB figures on 10,000 miners going back to work over the last two weeks were true, which they aren't, that would still only be seven percent of the miners on strike.
Well over 90 per cent of those who started the strike in March are still out after the longest mass industrial struggle in British history.
The figures for the core areas show the picture. Ninety percent are on strike in Scotland, 93 per cent in North East, 97 per cent in Yorkshire, and 99.6 percent in South Wales. No coal of any significance whatever is being produced in the 'back to work' areas.
that last point is vital. this strike is going to be decided by brutal power. For in the power supply industry the Tory press is systematically concealing the real situation - the fact that the national grid is begining to be affected for the • The CEGB is desperate for fresh coal supplies in Yorkshire which accounts for 20per percent of its total •wo weeks ago West hurrock the largest coal fired station in the Thames region, was closed down after workers refused to accept fresh sup• In South Wales British Steel's Llanwern plant was shut down for an 7 November of power shortages. • North Thames power was so low on 5 November that there was a 'yellow alert' - one step from the full panic of a red alert.
• The POEU reports that standby generators have been TONY BENN and others SUNDAY DECEMBER 2nd CAMDEN TOWN HALL, LONDON NW1 (opposite St Pancras Station) 11.30-4.30 brought into service to compensate for power losses over the last two weeks The media claims that this strike is about to break are complete lies. The problem which confronts the strike is the total contrast between the massive and direct assistance being given to Thatcher by the courts, the police, the CBI, and the media and the total lack of support being given to the miners by the leaders of the TUC and Labour While Owen is praising Thatcher Willis insults the miners, and Tuffin and Lyons move to knife the miners by calling on the TUC to back out of congress commitments. An appeal by the TUC to miners not to return to work would by itself have virtually halted the 'back to work' drift in its tracks.
Above all the NUM, and those carrying on solidarity, must be able to feel and see the massive support for the miners which exists in the move ment. The movement has to speak out quite regardless of whether Kinnock and Willis do - and the impression must be ended that they speak for the Labour Party and the trade unions as a whole.
It is the solidarity action on the railways and in the power stations which shows the way forward. The TUC should issue a fresh declaration of support and call for no return to work - and if they won't do it then the left trade union leaders backing the miners should do so.
The appearance of Labour not backing the miners given by Kinnock has to decisively rebutted. The best and most effective way to do that would be for the NEC to call a na tional solidarity demonstration for the miners - this would be the largest march London has seen for decades. National and regional days or acuon also urgently needed.
These are hard weeks for the But the 'Christmas bonus' pressure over, becomes clear the nas not cracked, the initiative will begin to slip back into the hands of the NUM Thatcher still has a long hard winter SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE
Socialist Action 23 November 1984 THE NOOSE DANGLED in front of TUC leader leadership of the
----- pull-quotes -----
stake for CND in 1985 back page: What's happening at Greenham?
Mineworkers' Defence Committee Speakers