that the miners have rejected the proposal to authorise the union executive to take industrial action in pursuit of the pay claim and over threatened closures by a margin of 60-40. This is a blow to the whole working class. The struggle of the healthworkers looks that much more isolated now. The likelihood of a major industrial confrontation with the Tories this winter is much diminished. defeat taken place?
In the first place, the vote represents a decision by a majority of miners to accept the NCB's eight par cent offer. It does not however represent a mandate to go ahead with pit closures. Scargill's attempt to link together the issue of closures and pay failed: most miners recognised that there was the possibility of resorting to industrial action if the pit closures want ahead.
The crucial point however is that the majority of miners saw the eight per cent offer as acceptable within the current industrial and political situation - if the only alternative was an all-out battle to defeat the Tories, which they were not prepared to undertanu. The poll result is obviously a reflection of the general industrial climate, and the By Jane Kelly. Peckham CLP workers tion is falling Why has this how While He current level of wages settlements. Com pared with what many other groups of doesn't look bad - especially when infla- accepted eight Moreover, the Tories have shown in the civil service dispute and again with the healthworkers that they are prepared to dig in for long hard industrial struggles What this defeat definitely put down to is betrayal by the miners leadership. In some respects the campaign by the NUM leadership was a model of prepared. But a majority of miners were just not ready to be an industrial battering ram to bring down the Tory government.
That they ware not is a crucial indicator mood inside the working Scargill was able to carry militants, they were unable to overcome the bridge between the militants and the mass of the membership.
In one respect Scargill can be faulted.
tied everything economic battle, against the Tory government, to create the preconditions for a general election. But he has failed to promote the organisation of the left minority in the unions on a cross-union, class strug gle basis. The isolation of the miners, the knowledge that they were being asked to in the 'no' vote in the ballot.
offer, CILICE Undoubtedly cannot be should be class.
The best the mass struggle.
traditional be the front runners in the fight to bring down the Tories, was an important factor The decision of the miners not to go for a strike is compounded by the decision of BL workers to accept the company s pay and not to take industrial action therefore the miners' decision represents a turning point. The pressure in the workers movement to look to the general election as the decisive test, as the crucial mechanism for getting rid of the Tory government will build up.
The job of socialists however must be to point out that basing everything now on an electoral strategy is not effective even from a narrowly electoral point of view.
conditions for defeating Tories at the polls is to challenge them in a For example, struggle has made the Tories immensely more unpopular and has started to make their opinion poll rating The foolishness of a purely electoral strategy was demonstrated by last week's Labour party political broadcast, hosted by Colin Welland, in which in 15 minutes of hard-hitting attack on the Tories over the health service, not one single mention was made of the health workers struggle!
The miners' decision leaves the health workers dangerously isolated. Every nerve must now be strained to build solidarity with the healthworkers, above all through the national transport workers day of action on 8 November.
But it is becoming increasingly obvious that without a decisive lead towards all out action the healthworkers struggle will be doomed to defeat. The present climate of cynicism about the possibility of success in the struggle against the Tories, the essential backdrop responsibility of the TUC and Labour Party of the miners' leaders who have failed to co-ordinate and lead a real fight.
What the miners' decision shows above all is the urgent necessity to build a national left wing movement in the unions and the Labour Party to take on the right, to remove the labour traitors.
In the face of the witch-hunt and con tinual TUC betrayals, Benn and Scargill face a choice. peace in the Labour Party will not deliver a general election victory. deliver the movement into the hands of the right wing Betrayals and defeats. Nothing could bet- and a ter prepare a Tory victory at the general election next year. decision, is above all the Peace in the unions and They will oniy menu for LONGBRIDCE