Jack Collins, general secretary of Kent NUM ment, we asked if this was ONE THOUSAND Kent miners decided last weekend to reject the Coal Board's offer to cut the workforce of the Snowdown colliery by 250 as a condition of keeping only one face open. This decision puts the Kent miners on collision course with the Coal Board and the Tories.
BRIAN GROGAN asked JACK COLLINS, general secretary of the Kent area of the NUM, to explain the situation.
HOW DID you decide to reject the Coal Boards proposals?
Friday, the Board gave us wnat inev termed the final plan'. After they had read a prepared statetion negotiable. Rawlinson, the area director, said that it they thought that the redecisions coalfields had strengthened their hand.
So we went back to the membership last Sunday We told them in a resoluthat WCIC LissausHed the Board's manpower posals for Snowdown. also asked them to recognise that it had been the solidarity and unity of the Kent miners that had kept Snowdown since 1981 rejected the Board's proposals and demanded negotiations This resolution was overwhelmingly supDorce mere was no vore but my guess would be that no more than 100 to 150 people voted against out of 1000 that were present.
The Board has now agreed to meet us.
What do you think will be the consequences of this decision?
Well I think it shows that if you straighten your back and decide to fight that We are not out the wood yet. But we are still holding the line.
When you look at the situation in Kent, as opposed to some of the areas where decisions have been made recently, you Hus realise that we've been keeping Snowdown open since February * 198 against a decision for total closure. It has only been our determined resistance that has done that.
We have rejected the current proposals but even here they are now offering to keep 450 jobs. Compare this with total closure.
What happened at the branch meeting the previous Friday which voted to accept?
There branch meeting called main factor here i think was a certain lack of communication. Many people had heard we had rejected the Board's proposals and they didn't think that they Kent miners marching in support of health workers. Nov they are looking for support from other workers themselves were to be consulted. This is what we did at the mass was significant that number of the 260 chang ed their minds at that time As elsewhere, we in Kent have chare o those that have been / a life In the industry and would take retirement younger men who are atthe transfer fee on offer; and others who are sure of a job even with the Board's present offer.
We of course are for early retirement, but younger men Even transacts go ancad we wan! to make sure that they don't leap frog over the young men waiting to be made up to face workers.
But at present we are refusing any redundancies and this is what we will te the Board when we meet will their reaction and take it from there.
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NOTIONAL IN MINE WORKERS MENT AREA
ORGANISE Photo. TOHN HARRIS