come rapidly; coal production there will stop at the end of next week.
The developing lightback is crucial for the public sector and the whole trade union movement: but it may be too slow to have an impact on pit closures. And now the RMT leadership have decided to re-ballot, the chances of relaunching industrial action on the railways are not high; we can be sure that before the May 6 ballot, BR and the government will bombard railworkers with threats and action.
The Tories" threat to ban industrial action which prevents public sector workers 'carrying out their statutory duties' would be the most draconian anti-union law in the Western world; if it was made to stick it would be a Abject The "new realist" union leaders are paying the price for their abject failThe struggle to defeat the proposed public sector strike ban is now directly linked to the outcome of the miners' struggle, the fight against compulsory redundancies on rail, and the battle against the 1.5 per cent pay OFFICIAL PICKET OFFICIAL PICKET Linking up the struggles: Scargill on RMT picket line What action can therefore be proposed which could realistically have an impact on the situation? The struggle against the 1.5 per cent pay norm in the public sector must be vigorously pursued.
The miners must develop a strategy for the occupation of the frontline pits to prevent their closure. The actions by Ann Scargill and WAPC has given a lead in this respect; but so far this is only symbolic, protest Occupations The occupation of the pits, combined with a call for solidarity action by other workers, would electrify the situation and immediately cause a national political crisis.
Such action may of course be difficult to win among workers worried about losing councy payments. But it is this kind of action which is necessary to defeat the government.
The other imperative is solidarity action organised by the TUC. The demand for a national day of strike action against pit closures and anti-union laws must be raised throughout the labour movement.