spoke to BILLY PYE from Parkside NUM -one of the ten collieries threatened with imminent closure. Billy is also a member of the union's national executive. How well Is Parkside standing up to the closure threat? On Saturday 14 November, the Parkside branch voted unanimously to continue the struggle to fight the pit closure programme.
So far, only 40 miners out of 800 have taken redundancy and we believe this is a very good sign, considering all the pressures we have raced. The NUM have carried out Its own inspections of the coal faces. Have you found any deterioration? After several thorough inspections, we have found hat one of the two faces wouldn't last much longer than a month without being worked.
However, whether we win or lose the battle in court to start turning coal again, we will continue our fight against the pit closures. What campaigning has been carried out in the Lancashire area to defend Parkside? We have spoken to many public meetings to promote our case and have called for support groups to beset up everywhere. So far, there have been over 25 miners support ap in the N orth West area.
we nave been cans Jot d day of action on Tuesday 17 November, a working day. Our branch has spoken to well over i trade union branch meer ings, mainly in the public sector, calling for solidarity strike action over the past two weeks. We have made it quite clear that we must unite our strug: gles to drive the Tories out of office.
Council workers
Manchester, Liverpool and Wirral are taking strike action, along with the Liverpool dock Many other workers will also be taking solidarity action.
There are two main demonstrations and rallies in the North West on the same pool. Additionally, there are at TUC want to restrict support to marches and protest least ten other demonstrations and rallies being held on the North West.
Scargill and Benn will be peaking at both the main ralsupport for the day of action. Has the North West TUC helped you to organise the day of action? The North West TUC has promoted and widely advertised the rallies and demonstrations in Liverpool and Manchester. Additonally, they helped us to organise the demonstration inSt Helens on November 7, at which around 3000 people marched. Also, they are hoping to organise the torchlit procession at Liverpool docks next week.
However, the North West TUC have sent out letters to all trade union branches, stressing that they only support the Liverpool and Manchester demonstrations and do not upport any strike actior that the TUC sent out thes letters to trade union branches is unbelievable, because this undermined their very low tanding even further. Basical y the TUC is out of touch with the situation. They have no confidence in their own membership. What steps need to be taken after the North West day of action? We must firstly build up the confidence of the working class and build up a public sector workers' alliance to bring unity. Our next task is to at least promote regional days of action, leading to a general strike.
To build for a general strike we must use the network of miners support groups, trade branches and the Socialist Movement Trade Union Committee. Additionally, we must unite all left groups around this one aim of kicking out the Tories.
Lastly. as a socialist, 1 am calling for a general strike not just for the miners' cause, butto fight agai ment, falling living standards, and destruction of the hospitals and council services. should not have to pay for the crisis of capitalism and the mess the bosses have created.