front the NUM). factors are already clear. and the NUM leaders.
Miners' agenda for action of conduct, H GREENAWAY from Yorkshire NUM looks al the problems of organising ihe action against BC's new "code miners in favour of industrial Following the huge vote by
decided to hold three pitheai ballens. Al- though the conferchce decided to take mach otthes hallors scparately, cach was THL 1987 conference ofrhe NUN in Tuly rank and file.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK ns 3 September/Derober 1987 level designed to estor ünits Wisd créate splits beween area and arca. ing at nationalesel Dr woute tutes- magen: a aegrec ol, concrol over ni muworker» and thus control of produt- The level ot control had been los mechanisation ane the monars deann fos a manional day wage- whirh wac wor with the introduction oile SPtA No Tralie tve harpi introducties tonl Power Loading Agrecmicpt i in the 1900 willsthe further acdkerng COT. in Sonnh Wales is sere teal Only a ünited respone by the NUM can defeat The present offensive mainst the mi- *Miron plani , a plan drawn up be ar ments aimed ai trustee the NEst and deurüonising the pits These were as til- • A producton-based hems incenrive scherme pancgouatco ad undissdal tmt ward. A conference of sacked miners 1y Whic the first Talot hos actuevei! a: workfore coule have been brought our — and a more generalised: tspunse, putting al-out strikt yetun an: wah 1:001 hus beçri to accept the code of The ballot or he Wheeler plan which will also be crucial to wm While Ihe vote at workig Wile a major step forward. the chreat of thir being undermined be the VDN and br the threat of the LEWL in Wales to organise the new Margam pir the plans loranx-day woek, warh a minc- nets is a direct atterpt so stoplemenr thie: His sceret plam included tour crucial ele- racter of the combincd and all-our urrack thr response nt the cunine, condemn the -sacked amt cien- mised trinels as criminals und crucially re NEM conference agaist six das gund result, it is a pity thatalltmee is NCH dirccor William Miron: In 1974 sues were not linked, so that the cha wech: to accept a schiav working weck. includes a sis das working thr agenda, achieved Needless to wau also planned. on the Guon eifellex view df the conditions of the code. ir was sex about concessns, ther is scill a bably an overtime ban, taking place. TF the Boaril io not back down this will be a The second ballar is for industrial ac- tion againss the so-caller Wheeler plan (maned after BC's Doncaster director): which calls for Jonger hours, a six-day coal producg week, changes to the back 'bonus incentive" schemes, These schemes reward a lew workers at the point of coal production while making it impassiblc for the majority of minc- The third bailos, the most difficult to win, is demanding action for the 330 sacked and victimised miners still not reinstated. No datc has been fixed for this ballot, and ir srems likely that the semi-Kinnockite and Stalinist majority: on the NUM executive will delay the vore indefinitelv. 'The sacked and victimised minem demand one dav strikes as a minimum for their casc to be carried for- posing the National Gual Board (*British Coal ) disciplinary code of conduct: This code il conduet, if miplemented in its original lom. would mark a new stage sons arc uiterly draconian, allowing lor sacking miners for virtually anything. at work or cuaside, which the Board consi- dered flensiv-. Ir was the code which led to the strike of 16,000 maners, origi- colliery in South Yorkshire in Joly: In not surprising thar the ourcome of the baller was an oerwheiming mandate tor taken aback by the vote, have made noi- health and safety legislation and claw- the resull oluspects of the goncralised at- tack on living standards, working condi- The oucome of these ballots, and the strugeies waged around chem, will make i: crucial impact on the continuing The frst ofthes ballols, the resul al- ready annonced, was the ballet on op- in the whoie battle in industry. Its provi- nating in rank and file action ad Fritkley tions and union organisation if the pus- guri chance of industrial action, pro industrial arbon. Although the Board workers to achieve production targets. struggle in the roallields. a: crucial impact vital struggle
What then are the prospects for the fighr back? In addition to the positive ciplimary code, coalfield militancy has alone. Despite the lefeat of the miners the Scarpil group in the leadership who signal of the ballor result on the dis- been griwing. There have been numc- rous local strikes since the national ary 1986 there were 51 notticial stopp- strike, rank and file militancy has reco- stations of Ferrybridge, Drax and Egs- blem in ev-ordinating artion which could decisively rebuff the Board, and in the rank and file who want a fight, and victimised miners, has been the luck of puse, however, fy the majorin Af the national executive, whirk, under the in strike. In the financial year from Janu- ages in the showpiece Selbe complex vered rapidly. However, the main pro actually do something for the sacked and simply. On theonc band you have many want to fight back as well. They are op cm-ordination am leadership. The problem can be xiations of Ferrybridge, Drax and Leg- for the least ourlay. The Tory govern- ment's insistenre on pursuing its nuclcar pengramme would also be a guverning The concentration of capital into the central coalfields of Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire where thero is a captive market at the Trent and Aire valley power stations, is an additional incentive for privatisation, as supply of coal and geographically, ic the Aire valley power by super-pir complex which is expecte to produce 15 million connes of power generation are very close borough could be linked to the new Sel- station quality coal per ycar. The iwo to- Stalinists have put Scargill *the Kinnockites and in a minority on the MINERS executive
isr Paris, opposes Scargill's Tine. Also. a number of. maris local rank and Gle the arca lenderships nimost all appose a be these with the duith of Jack Cullins in Kent. Given the reluctance of the executive abil tir area leaderships to fight. ibe runk and file need lourganise There are groups put our their own Bills. hold meetner and organise support for the need co be brought inueiter n a mational democratically-eirganised national let only way of really quilanking the right sacked and vietnach muners: Hut they wing Communed to class struggle tit chase rollaboranon; Probable be only jersewho cobld bring sucha formation rapidly ito esplence is Archer Scargill antihe Kinnockies bave por im ira mory on the pational execise, bos would lie to help organise a national left fuchee of the son left and the Commun himsciL Now tourthe Communist Pany crouping: FUNEMany Fir groups in thie militant Tirie Talk gether could be sold off usa packape, the mines exhausting as the power Mattins bargaining on wages and working condi- moos, ng imposton of the 1987 wage Ictuato right to sack any mineworker the national management conroloftle workme practices and con- Board decides n unsuitable to continue • The destructin of the he-day week pay: This to be replacod with foxible working which would require a mutiewerket to work 9 bour mtead ol 7.25 hours, 6/7 days per week where the morin coday is 5 days pre 7 day continuous mining and thus maxi- negotiable disciplinary code nf conduct. with the al agreement. whirh in the davs of mana: werk: leading where possible to 24 hour/ mising machine available timc. increas- getten chut downs und lock-ours. gun of a new from urt of she mineworkers, thus dawing back more HwaN award. unposten within the indistev. ranteed live davs require closing • Tir Tierak echoing: coupled to a mur-by-unio • Hage Vapital investment in sunrise available machine time. intrease reliabilits bo sysrem montonng, maximise outpur New stalalicy studs, would determine where it rhe current and futume home and ex- artmeat would give the hiedest meltr to invest and where to cur back. A review son marker lor coal would be an art- tobal factor he determine where the in and control pf produce qualily maximise technologs"
My generation announced in the queens Icaderships of the tinions in both indus- eneros, A triple alliance of coal, gas and plans to privater the mines and electric- speech should be chough to wake up the tries to the tact that they have a common Beyond this. per mimam, The combined effeet would ing production automatically by 50%; be to produce the same annual tonnuge. at a greatly reduced cost; From a passive de-unionised workforce of ioss than 50,000 mineworkers A prime plum for privatisation.
15 clectricity would have more industrial muscle than the old alliance of coal, stecl bosses can have a coordinated strategy. dietricity grid, and sohal the response of the • In the nest assue of Socialist Outlook H Greenate looks at the plans for @ european and rail If the government. amons should be on a curopean scale: then why not the unions? The similarity between the Miron plan and what has been implemented, or is in the pipe-line — is obvious. I shows that the 1984/5 coal strike was just one part of the struggle against protracted plans to restructure the coal industry and indeer! son in this country, and in the process to the whole framework of energy provi- crush the SUM. SOCIALIST OUTLOOK he 3 Septemben/October 1967
in CUNA, arguing that thc time was not and what was coquired instead was more contidence-building selective action In reality they had no intention of ever suppor- ting all out action Like the strategy of the The irony was that after losing its position at the conference the Broad Left then wh the right wing who clearly believed that a balloc on all our action would be loss and 81 and their polinical allies in the leadership of the Scs (the middle management uninn will whom the campaign was being jointly run) capitalised on certainty which existed suft-left in local government they were bank- contrul of the union gaining an tR:6 majority The motion was defeated. The soft left BE ing on a Labour victory to hail them out. would thus end the campaign righr The initial action, however, also led to two- ment's own figures put the initial strikes at very important mistakes. The strategy was STEVE FRENCH analyses the