THE MINERS' strike has sparked off the largest international solidarity movement of any industrial dispute in Europe since ARKWRIGHT summarises the activity of the solidarity movement during the strike. RANK and ile trade unionists from all over the giobe have been sending in donations food Recently, £10,000 plus 10 tons of dried fruit arrived from trade unionIsts in Aignanistan In Denmark there are now I2 miners support committees across the Australian Count! dockers claim nave stopped all shipments of coal to Britain over the last 10 months However, coal continues to arrive in Britain Germany.
Russia, South Africa and even China that coal Imports have more than doubled last year. Even the guidelines of the TUC and the World Federation of Trade Unions were adhered to Ine salo could change dramatically.
I ne support miners so far illustrates that it Is DOSSIDIC obal international level to get the kind suppor needed. In Belgium for example support blockade now very strong. Dockers in Ghent, Antwerp Leebrugge have agreed not to load extra shipments of coal.
As the port workers' leader explainca. Unis DOT normal, simple and we have met these situWar II. JUDITH ations in Belgium and we are maybe going to meet them in the future. We strong feeling of lave solidarity for people who are fighting to save their jobs.
In Australia LT e miners' lederation nas $10 per month levy on each 13,000 School teachers, workers and longshoremen have all contributed to the estimated $350,000 far forwarded to the NUM.
The seamen's union and the Waterside workers Federation have banned the shipment of COal According to Arthur Scargill, 6,000 Aus tralian workers have been Kofi at time another as a result of this The has outstripped any other country in donations and money. By last November Russian aid had reached million mark.
Soviet miners in particular have shown support, Wilh up …LO tired quarters of million TouDles being raiscu some regions. This kind of been lids matched at the level action for Russian coal is still going despite initial statements to the contrary.
USSR authorities however, have refused to break contracts to sell coal at Bhe beginning of this the beginning the that this would be done.
Since the summer, Danish Norwegian unions have shipped hundreds of tons of clothing and collected upwards of £350,000 for the striking The Danish seamen's union has Deer LnC most faithtul to the demands of the World rCuClallol Unions, coordinated support.
freighted, free of charge 325 containers and toys for the families of strikin miners. There are now I2: support committees round the The project send over 100,000 chickens at the end of February.
Holland ON 9 MARCH in Roterdam the support committees have called national in support of the miners.
Negonauons over wage. took place last week between indes allelinoy ers at the Port of Rotterport group was part of the delegation and demanded 1,100,000 guilders from the They said this was the excess profit the employers h201 eamed by their exports to Britain to bryan break te lICI Women Against Pit Closures strike. When the employers refused this demand, of coal were brought into the meeting as a protest.
Friday 8 February saw dockers in Amsterdam implement a 24-hour ban on the handling of coal.
Germany A LOOK at the solidarity with the British For lack of it - organised by the West German union leaders emphasises the NUM's outstanding defence of its members' jobs.
The union organises miners in West Germany, the IG Bergbau and Energie, is known for its right wing leadership. It doesn't come as much of a surprise when German miners still dig coal which is then shipped to Britain.
DGB, the German equivalent of the TUC, is as bureaucratic as thev come. It passes mone collected for the miners on the TUC rather than to Arthur Scargill's NUM.
When the IG Metall, the metal workers' union. instructs its branches not to send any money directly to the miners, then this is something else will probably remember the struggle for the 35-hour week Germant many IG Metall members fast yal. when directly Hurtnermore a ener l branches sent in December states explicitly: 'This support for British miners' families should not lead to the conclusion that Ine namonas executive o the IG Metall is in agree.
aims or the Num Political men WIll.
where do they send the money collected German trade unionIsts. Do tney know de a couldn't have made worse choice?
The Iron Stee Trades Confederation (ISTC) have kindly agreed to disthe miners' families suffering hardship!
The leaders of the IG Metall must really fear that a victory for the NUM German HIS DilC . workers to fight for their own jobs.
It is heartening to know that there is a lot of rank and file support miners amongst German Local Lace committees have been set up which are often twinned with pits in Britain Family have been established and NUM members have spoken at meetings and rallies.
Luckily enough these acts solidarity grass roots level have not been dampened by the lack of enthusiasm shown by their leaders.
Vietnam NOT ONLY has Vietnam banned direct exports of coal to Britain since the beginning of the strike, it has also banned export to any count. which re-directs Vietnamese coal to Britain. COAL LINKS between the South African miners and British have been marters strengthened over the last 11 months. miners in September confronted the Chamber of Miners, temporarily forcing the employers to back down and increase their pay offer.
Roy Jones, North
Staffs NUM visite pictured abover South Africa in December 1984 lan Isaac, South Wale: area NUM executive, had this to say about the importance of building link. between British and Sout African miners:
In many respects the British NUM iS fighting to defend what the South African NUM is fighting to win; a decent future for their families, security employment decent wages ana conations 'The decision of the South African NUM give donation (sub stantial in terms of their resources) is a recognition of the importance of our struggle In the midst of our sirike we must recognise the common cause we have witn mineworkers To offer and shape bona fide links between the British NUM and the South African NUM is imour joint surperalive vival and development. • Reprinted from the Southern African Labour Education Project.
Now as further gesture of solidarity the Vietnamese government has approved the decision of the North West Vietnam, Laos Kam-a puchea Association to use funds usually earmarked for aid to Vietnam for the striking musters Four hundred Lancashire miners their families enjoyed Christmas entertainment presents out of these funds.
In recognition of this , solidarity striking miners Agecrott colliery near sented dill engraved miners lamp to the Vietnamese ambassador in