SOCIALIST FEMINIST group Women for Socialism is actively organising support for threatened pits alongside the Women Against Pit Closures movement.
Three WAPC women told a WtS meeting in London last week how British Coal is piling on the pressure at Trentham colliery, one of the ten originally scheduled for instant closure.
At the end of their shift on Friday October 16, miners were told by the local paper - not British Coal itselfthat they needn't come in on the following Monday.
When they turned up anyway, they found themseives locked out, with only a few men allowed in to do safety have a week's pay and had better sign their jobs away by Friday 23 if they wanted redundancy money.
In spite of this threat, only a few people complied, so the deadline was pushed back to Monday 26, and then back again to Friday 30. So much for British Coa's expectation that the miners would give up their jobs so easily!
WAPC are asking trade unionists to table resolutions at labour movement bodies calling for a one day general strike in support of the miners. Women's groups are asked to get in touch with threatened pits quickly, sending people to visit and inviting local women to visit them.
Quick action is needed, it was stressed. Whatever the media claims, British Coal is pressing ahead to shut 'consulted stopped production.
NfS has agreed to petition and raise funds in support of miners, and members will be writing to their union general secretaries pushing the one day general strike demand.
The women present each agreed to contact one of the ten pits immediately threatened, and build links between the colliery and local support groups.
e next WS solidarity meetin Il be on Thursday November 12 7.30pm in the Quiet Room, University of North London, Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, North London.
Contact Women Acainst Pit Closures c/o NUM, Holly Street, Sheffield. Tel: 0742 766900. No. 31 End Student Defend student unions Tuesday November 10 Assemble 12 noon, Malet Street (Nearest tubes Russell Sq, Euston) Organised by NUS London 7 Nov, 1992
socialist Published fortnightly Solidarity price £1 Strikers and claimants 25p No 31 7 November, 1992