FOR THE first time since 1935, a united National Union of Miners executive has toured the coal field to mobilise a yes vote for strike action.
against pit closures and for a £27 a week pay increase, union president Arthur Scargill has addressed enthusiastic mass rallies in every mining The meetings each attracted around 4,000 miners who demonstrated their support for Scargill with cheers and standing ovations.
Scargill's to the first of these rallies in sown yales was repcatco hroughou the week, You have given me a man date to fight against closures and to fight for a can't promise you a seat in the House of Lords, but I can promise you a leadership which is in touch with national conference decisions. That's what our union is all about.
between this response to the union ranks and the experience other workers drawn out in VICe presi Gent MeGahey's speech to the same rally, Let's face it there have been rements owsectons o the British working class.
When ASLEF strike, thirteen leaders, and I emphasise not the trade -movemen. sold out the workers. Now look what's happened to them with McCarthy.
To cheers, Scargill thundered the alternative ADDO CA O leadership, *The miners lorce no LONCE decimated like the 1960's. псу ас по prepared to stand see the same happen to them as has In the build up to the 28 October ballot South Wales and Sheffield happened to the rail and CICE WOKES cane Tories. If vou go out an et votes, and I know yo will, vou can rest assurco the union leadership wil JIUL DOLLEY YOU Between 1960 and 1972 500 pits were closed and over half the jobs lost. As Scargill reminded his audiences, this bloodleting had continued under Labour and Tory Govern 1975 37,000 jobs have been lost 12.000 of these in the last year alone.
While this emaciated workforce struggles keep production targets up high levels of overtime private contractors and loan sharks the banks and finance houses have been gettine fat. Bet ween 1980 and 1981, E341 million was paid in interest been an increase of 30 percent in mysterious expenditure items like payments to private "depreciation' and so called 'expenditure on other iters' (an increase of E54 million).
Taking these payments Scaraill CSLITHEES that a cut in overtime from COILE would pay the claim twice over, or create 30,000 new Jobs.
Further evidence of the Tory plans is revealed in the present issue of the national NUM jouryear CHOIRCI explains:
have the advantage of TOOTHE portion of electricity pro- substantial duction from the dangers or disrupton Dy industrial action by coal miners or transpor woe er more evidence is needed to prove that the голся шеспа то такс оп the miners, to destroy their union. Some miners are apprehensive about the results of the 2s Octone ballot. They are concerned that their cadets waited too long to start the campaign that linked the pay and closure issues as one.
By next week the ballot results will known. Every steel worker, rail workers and hospital worker tied down in a battle with the Tories will be hoping that the miners will give a lead in action from That d MeGahey told the South Wales miners: "The British miners catalyst that can spark oft can be he fight against the Tor can behind Scargill's message that *the government should be as oyal to our class as the Tories are to theirs."
This the message which for miners means investment in the pits, a four day week. early retirement and a sane energy ponc based on ample reserves of coal, oil, and gas.
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which powers: Brind milear programme would