'PEOPLE ARE discovering the price of insubordination and insurrection. And boy are we going to make it stick!' Ian Was famous boast in the Telegraph in justification NCB's victimisation of sacked during the strike. But, while management attacks on the miners NUM are mounting, struggles are taking place against the NCB's attacks.
•In Cannock, Staffordshire, at Littleton colliery, where 80 per cent were at work when the strike ended, production came to a halt on Tuesday 5 March when manacement ted to corce a power group worker to work overtime. Management MacGregor's in- misjudged members.
Sunday of the miners management s rerusal to give sharp underground tribunal. backed down over threats to withdraw •At facilities from the power group secretary after they realised they had completely the mood NUM SYstems.
•In South Wales miners at Betws pit came out on strike on 18 March against WORK workers. the Thurnacite plant at Abercwmboi superscab Paul Watson won the sacking of five miners with his claim that they had spat provoked an immediate strike backed up by four pits in the Cynon home Valley. But the South Wales area executive recommended calling off the action NUM and management refused to budge Maule to all housed Markham, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, 1000 miners walked out over introduction of new maintenance Alongside these victimisations management is trying to carry through a severe attack on work practices In Doncaster, one of the most solid coalfields throughout the strike, management have introduced a four shift system abolished safety committees. local agreements have been abolished and miners arriving 10 minutes late are sent the first time round and if they repeat the 'offence' they / will be sacked.
facilities have been restricted.
Despite these attacks the elections held so far show militants who led the strike are holding their support among the members.
•At Keresley, near Coventry, members of the branch committee who supported the strike have been re-elected by the 1100 NCB workforce despite the fact that only 246 Stayeu out to the end •North Yorkshire panel elections showed an increased trend of support for the left. North Yorkshire is a traditional stronghold of the right, but the panel vote this time was split down the middle left and right.
severely •At Selby, the biggest super-pit in the country, the strike committee received a unanimous vote of confidence despite two### JOBS NOT JAIL Speakers: Betty Heathfield, Jack Collins, Jo Reeder, Liz French Re-instate sacked miners Support the Prisoners Stop the trials Assemble 11am, Caborns Corner (junction of Spital Hill/Carlisle St)
March to a rally at City Hall Called by the South Yorkshire Defence Campaign more info from 73, West St, Sheffield S1 munity during The between entire movement. thirds of the workforce having gone back before the strike was called off.
The other pattern showing up in parts of the country is that significant numbers of miners and women from the mining comhave joined the •Parti the dispute. In the North Yorkshire area more than 300 have joined in Leeds. Dennis Healey, MP for Leeds East, may have an interesting time with the 6u new members trom the coaltie d who have joined his constituency.
most urgent task today defending the 760-plus miners who have been sacked - and the 150 who have been imprisoned. There are still more than 2000 awaiting trial.
'Jobs not jail!", "No victimisations!" must be the campaigning slogan for the
Socialist Action 22 March 1985
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No. 94 22 March 1985 Photo: GM COOKSON