IN DECEMBER, plan for new recruitment and f400m new investment. They won 80 percent support from the membership for a strike from 17 January if the coalboard failed to deliver.
This was a new offensive battle and no longe! just defensive fight pit closure.
Following in the wake of the failure of the miners national ballot for industrial action, it showed the decisive role vigorous local leadership.
South Wales leaders got firm commitments on their demands. The area Wall lifted but no definite figures promised either on this investment.
However, al an area conference week, Socialist Challenge 21 January 1983 the South Wales miners' following the recommenSouth Wales executive, the miners called off the strike and supported further talks with the Board. Even so over a third of the pits voted against the executive for the strike to go ahead as planned.
*If the executive had made a recommendation for strike action, it would have been overwhelmingly carried have beer TYRONE O'SULLIVAN secretary of Tower Lodge told Socialist Challenge.
*The setback over Kinneil could have been overcome by a strong lead. The responsibility lies with the This is a repeat CACCULLYC. of 1981 when went back to work on the basis of empty promises. The Board will now seek union involvement in review procedures, as in the 1960's hoping to trap US closure agreements. But fight every threatened closure.
Fight *Tower Lodge general mccune has unamimously agreed not to treat the area comerence accisions as defeat but to fight all send messages of support to immediately threatened pits - Britannia, Lewis Merthyr and Blaongwrach.
The decision of Kent miners to reject the Board's latest offer South Wales after this setback.
From Trelewis Drift PAUL O'SULLIVAN told Socialist Challenge that calling off the strike was a total sell out by the executive Paul's lodge is protesting to the executive they were totally wrong to call off the strike when them demands have been met by the Board. The fight was there in the coal fields and with the executives lead we could have won against the Board - and the government. We don't get much out of more talk with the Board.
The way forward is for a threatened pit to take action to start spreading it though the coalfield and pull in executive support We must get organising to strengthen the strike. be ready to back threatened pits with action' GRIFFIN. lodge secretary at Penrhiwceiber, told Socialist Challenge that sion means that the Board will step up plans for pi strike to save these pican d *It will mean we must build up pressure make it irresistable to the leadership', Mike said.
DAI DAVIES
member iber the and member South Wales executive, spoke to Socialist Challenge in personal capacity. could have won this battle The setback •11 Scotland over Kinneil has been over-emphasised. It showed a weakness of the area leadership the rank and file. strong lead from South Wales, we could have got into other coalfields including Scotland and won their support.
Case *The leadership afraid of isolation in South Wales, ,but we showed in 1981 that we have the abilifields to back us. Our case to persuade other coal for investment and recruitcompletely unanswerable. 1981 only three South Wales pit: voted to the strike but -HOV pits voted for the strike against the executive 'So some have learned the lessons of 1981. But not enough. Yet the militant heart of the coalfield remains totally against closure so a fight is likely The Board will not try and bring us to our knees and re-unite the coalfield by fighting back around threatened pits.
majority leadership South Wales has backed away from the which they had prepared TOT WIll the Board and government miners and other workers This setback Runners and rank file leaders South Wales will now be preparing for the next stage to fightback against the Board to save the immediately threatened pits.
It is vital that this fight should succeed. By building up the pressure to WIn the support of the leadership, the Board's of tensive can be rolled back.
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leadership took a big step forward in fighting for the future of the coalfield. They drew up a
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Snowdown will give en-