HUNDREDS of thousands of workers demonstrated on 21 October and again on Sunday 25 against pit closures.
It was fantastic response to Heseltine's attack. But have no illusions; the Tories are determined to press ahead, despite all the opposition.
In to win a majority in parliament, Heseltine agreed to a 'moratorium' on 21 pit closures and a Select Committee inquiry on energy policy.
But the 90-day 'consultation' period over the 10 doomed pits is a fiasco. Miners are not being allowed to work. Confusion reigns on what the real figures for redundancy payments will be.
Keep pits open
The labour movement weeds astrate whine will the threatened pits open, a strategy which will not let the Tories off the hook.
Instead, with the momentum still strong, the TUC has set out to divert the movement away from any confrontation with the government ==i :he emplorers. As ==:===:= -.. :.= Fi=in redundances calling for a Natiora: Day of Recover on December 9, on which the theme will Now's the time to push him out! be 'partnership' between unions and employers!
Despite the TUC, the feeling is strongly in support of a fight. The furore over pit closures has tapped a huge reservoir of resentment against the mounting cascade of redundancies and closures. Hospitals are faced with a wave of closures; tens of thousands of NHS jobs are at stake.
In addition millions face a public sector wage freeze. And soon huge cutbacks in social welfare spending will be announced.
must be forced to call for industrial action. December 9 could be made into a focus a day on which the miners and every other section of workers engaged in struggle take strike action. The fight for action could begin now: millions of workers, especially those in the public sector, already have their own claims or grievance outstanding. They could all legitimately call action on December 9. It would amount to a de facto general strike.
But the TUC General Council, which is aiming to give the impression of action on pit closures by holding its meeting in Doncaster on November 25, must also be lobbied LAS EXMOU: and told to call a one-day general strike for that day.
The message must go out loud and clear to Norman Willis and his gang of bureaucrats: the labour movement does not want a 'partnership' with big business, but a fight for the removal of their Tory Socialist Outlook says the following urgent steps must be taken:• Plans must be madeto occupy any pits threatened with closure. If they get away with closing the first ten, it will be much more difficult to defend the 21 others. Mass support for industrial action must be built.
• A public sector alliance must be constructed. The Tories can be pushed back if miners, hospital workers, rail workers and Royal Mail workers threatened with privatisation fight together.
• The TUC must call a one-day general strike to mobilise workers for class wide-action to drive out the Tories.
• Miners support groups must be built in every area.
The response of the Labour and TUC leaders to the attack on the miners has been absolutely minimal. Reliance on bishops and Tory MPs will not work in the end. Only industrial action will defeat the Tory attacks.
Tube workers in London are balloting in early November for strike action to resist 5000 redundancies and personal contracts - which means in effect union de-recognition.
This is the example which must be followed.