paper for the labour movement for a campaign in support of the miners. It proposes days of action, political campaigning, and industrial support for the miners as well as establishing a representative steering committee for such a campaign.
He will be presenting it at the Liaison Committee for Defence of (LCDTU) on 12 January.
THE TIME has now come for a major political campaign in support of the miners. The solidarity shown, and the financial support given, have been much preciated, but it is not enough and the movement must do more, and do it urgently, if we are to sustain the NUM and their families.
The forms of support needed • First: to win acceptance of the principle that you do not cross a picket line. • Second: to extend industrial action into related activities - especially power stations, road transport of coal and oil and associated work. • Third: to step up suport make perhaps by regular levies, or the contribution of a day's pay, by those at work, on a regular basis. • Fourth: to provide an effective apPhoto: GM COOKSON the financial systematic, Photo: GM COOKSON 1. Schools where the teachers ask local trade unionists to come in and talk over with the pupils what the dispute is about and how it relates to education cuts. 2. Hospitals where the unions set up a discussion, inside the hospital, on the enec or une curs in wue nean service 3. A day when the buses run but no collected passenger is given a leaflet on the effect of the new government policy of de-regulation, with an opportunity to talk about its effects with councillors and union members who might travel on the buses for this purpose. 4. A similar policy on British Rail, with especial emphasis on the need for elecuacados. 5. Labour local authorities to advertisements in the papers calling meetings tor locai peonle to hear ex. actly how rate-capping will affect ser6. An invitation unemployed to attend local colleges for all all-day unemployment could be tackled — by ear ler retirement. a 3 hour week longer holidays, more public investment in industry and public expenditure on services etc. 7. Joint conferences every about the ways in which fuel poverty could be eradicated at a cost much lower than the cost of the strike -and extending to all those on social security. 8. Demands by local journalists and broadcasters that on the day of action ine meala unions de anowea one page in their own papers, or one hour on the air to put across, the news as they put see it, and give their own comments OH l 9. Social and cultural activities which artists could express their supWing the pit employment, ment.
to all the seminar on between the pensioners to talk Led. leadership.
itiative represent. struggles of working people for the same objectives , maybe with some in• come from abroad to shov their solidarity 10. Peace movement campaigns that highlight the cost of nuclear weapons and the starvation of essential needs.
danger nuclear power as against coal.
11. Invitations to government and Coal Board representatives to public debates on their policies to which the local business community could be invited to hear the case for negotiating a fair settlement to the strike by cancell.
closure programme and getting the investment necessary for real economic advance. 12. Organising public opinion polls to Como cle every interested group to establish the extent of public support for policies that would end the threat of pit closures, , bring back full build homes, health care and educational provi sion, help retired people, women and youngsters, and work for peace.
To be effective, work on such a campaign and day of action must be set in hand at once. Firm proposals would have to be formulated by a small and circulated to all those individuals and groups, especially in the labour movewho might be ready cooperate, with an invitation to each of them to think out urgentiv what part they would like to play and how they would propose to pay for it This latter point is very important as all costs must be covered, more, to avoid diverting money away from the miners' funds - indeed the miners should receive more as a result ot what is planned These would be asked to get on with it quite Telling steering committee know what they had desis.
The NUM and the women's support groups have taught the labour movement many lessons in the last 10 months, of which the most importar: are that you do not need to wait :c: permission trom anvone betore vol defend your rights, and secondly that there is a need for strong and clear It must be our task to take the innow and offer the leadership that will be necessary if we are to pro. tect the interests of those whom we