AS EVERY miner knows, coal sales have slumped. stockpiles grow day by day. This situation has deliberately created by Tories whose policies have caused closure of hundreds of factories up and down the coun try.
Consumption by over 12 million tons in 1980 and has fallen even further in 1981. The Tories and the NCB have seized the opportunity to attack the miners, to force them to shoulder burden of a crisis they not created.
Industrial action forced the NCB to withdraw its closure list of 23 pits In February, but already seven pits have closed, and 6,000 jobs have been lost. The long term plan is for a small number ty. TRes would mean furier job would mean losses in the industry.
The strategy of the Board and the government is to try to divide us and force through job losses face by face pur ey pur, arca py area. to think that if "uncconomic pits to close. it we increase productivity, then our jobs will be safe. Productivity This is exactly what we were told in the 1960s: productivity increased by 4 per cent a vear but we still lost more than half a million jobs. The CS501 1974 and 1981 i that the only 1972, way to detend Jobs is by militant struggle.
We have to take the offensive, to fight for demands that can unite our union young and old, face workers surface WITNES 'profitable' and 'unprofitable" areas.
A four day week with no loss of pay and retirement at 55 with full pay would defend our JODS HE CICAC thousands more for the young people on the dole in the coalfields.
Four days a week down the pit is enough! Forty years is enough!
Since 1974 miners' fallen The basic rate been have to be the restore it to 1974 levels. economic the divide the workforce.
Living of coal fell rate.
try to be brought in the that anybody have penne lemon atOn According to the zorkshire Miner th increased to E165 to The productivity bonus scheme was intendea to buy orr the miners. But it hasn't maintained living standards and has been used as a wedge to standards should be restored to the 974 leve on the bosme Wages should automatically be linked to a price index drawn up by the union and miners dependents. theirs.
A rate protection scheme should operation to ensure who is moved to g less well paid job due to industrial disease or injury does not suffer financially Here Need is with private ding the NCB's deals business. Let us see the book INC banks and sce now many fingers — and whose - are in the till.
The fight for a workers' solutior n the coal industry is only part of the fight for a socialist solution to the economic crisis. The weight NUM must be thrown behind the campaign for a Labour government committed to socialist policies, Labour government as loyal to its class as the Tories have been to Over and over again we have seen ine matorv or our union's leaders ignore or defy conference decisions. Policies such as the four day week are of little use unless the leadership is prepared to fight for them.
The election of Scargill will be a big step forward in breaking the right wing's domination. The next should be the reform of the NEC to end the situation where representatives of a maiorit Or Mmers are a minority on the NEC Sh for radar feeled ion of orpaign for regular re-election hals. A socialist leadershin in thi NUM will only have the full fidence of the membership if it is ac No full-time should receive a higher wage than that of a face worker.
If we are going to defend our jobs and living standards, if we are going to fight tor a tair deal tor reurec miners and youth on the dole, we wil inevitably come into COTTONOT with the Tories as we did in 1974 Joe Gormley and Co. would run a mile rather than lead such a fight. They were all too well aware that a miners strike at the same time as BL workers would almost certainly have is why the NEC agreed to a month's adiournment The election of Scargill would be a big step forward in the fight for a leadership in the labour will stand un to the tories. NUM has the power to lead the figh for united abour movement actio against the Tories.
And only fighting socialist policies will ensure we win. - ant