BEFORE HIS own surprising collapse, Michael Heseltine had already torn the heart out of the British coal industry. Closures threaten most of the 31 pits designated by the Tories last October. Despite the 'reprieve' of 19 pits in Heseltine's statement last March, many of these pits will close by the end of the year, in addition to the 12 scheduled for definite closure.
The closures are being hastened by the government's fixing the market to prioritise gas and nuclear and by the bully-boy tactics of British Coal. Miners are being put in an impossible position as enhanced redundancy payment terms are on offer if they agree to closures, but only by the end of ErIC FIGHTING RACISM: reports page 2 Major is an economic disaster
the year.
Standing firm Even so, thousands of miners are standing firm. The NUM is refusing to participate in pit-head ballots on closure, making them impossible in most pits (although this tactic backfired at the UDM Rufford pit, where NUM participation would have defeated the closure proposal).
This bitter outcome of the battle to save the pits comes as the Tories are more unpopular and discredited and weaker than ever. Only the utter spinelessness of the TUC and Labour leaders has allowed this tragedy to happen.
Arthur Scargill's call at the North West Peoples March for a 24-hour stoppage against redundancies was absolutely right. But that is just the beginning. The lesson of the miners' heroic struggle is that the can defeat the Tory offensive.
& PIT G Labour leadership has shunned mass activity like the North West march Tories and the bosses can pick off individual sections and defeat isolated struggles. Only massive solidarity based on industrial action Miners p5, North West march p2, Timex p4.