By Sheila Gregory (Lancashire Women Against Pit Closures (LWAPC) and Socialist Outlook supporter) ON FRIDAY 8 October Parkside Women's Pit Camp was viciously attacked by 75 baton wielding riot police in an attempt to end the struggle against the pit's permanent closure. They failed.
The pit camp was initiated on 18 January by over 30 women from LWAPC and Miners Support Groups throughout the North West. Since January we have sustained a 24 hour presence outside the colliery.
We organised three occupations and various other major events. The pit camp has gained most of its support from miners support groups centred around the North West Miners Support Group Network which Socialist Outlook supporters were instrumental in setting up last December along with Billy Pye (NUM NEC) and Sylvia Pye (National Chair of Women Against Pit Closures).
Our basic aim is to keep Parkside open as its viability is not in question especially as the pit made a profit of over £ 5 million for the '91/'92 financial year.
Chained
On Thursday 30 September a slow trickle of lorries began to pile up stocks of limestones to be used to fill in the pit shaft. On Monday 4 January at 5.00am 12 of us chained ourselves across the pit entrance accompanied by a further 50 supporters.
We stopped every lorry from entering only allowing in those which were not harmful to the interests of the pit. Post Office workers also refused to cross our picket line.
After a couple of hours many lorries were piling up causing a major jam. The police decided to turn them all away. Two lorries laden with cement got in through the rear entrance.
We immediately put a picket at the rear entrance and put paid to any further management skulduggery - this rear entrance hadn't been used for over 15 years.
Guard sacked
On Tuesday we built a small shack and a portable toilet was installed along with a brazier. There were attempts by coal lorry drivers and security guards to ram the picket line but these were unsuccessful - in fact one security guard was sacked for his actions.
On Friday morning at 2am three women occupied the pump house for an indefinite period. All three women entered unnoticed.
Later that afternoon the rear continuing with the pickets. entrance gates had mysteriously been welded together along with one tonne of concrete dumped around the gate posts -effectively stopping every lorry from entering.
That afternoon various Coal Board managers arrived periodically at the pit to discuss their next step. They laid off all contractors, the mine companies withdrew all their mine shaft filling machinery.
We later discovered that mysteriously the hundreds of concrete blocks earmarked for shoring up all the underground tunnels had been smashed.
At around 12.30am Friday night there was a lot of activity - management scurrying everywhere. They turned off all the electricity to the pit.
This was extremely dangerous, because the methane gas extractor pumps were turned off - thus allowing a dangerous build up.
Management were asked about the safety of the pit and the three women occupying. They refused to answer. We then called the police - they just said we were breaking the law Suddenly at 2.30am unmarked police wagons pulled up at the barrier. Riot police jumped out and surrounded us, Mechanics Institute to discuss stage a meeting in the pump room pushing, shoving, smashing our furniture, wielding their batons at us and told us, 'go and fuck off out of the way'.
Billy Pye was hit over the head with a riot shield. They used bolt cutters to snap our chain in two places. We all stayed calm - no one was arTester The thugs left in two minutes along with the management. The local police were not happy and have apparently lodged an official complaint to the Merseyside Chief Constable over their behaviour. We later fixed the chain and continued our picket.
Around 300 protestors turned up for a demonstration to support the action of the women pickets and occupiers on Sunday October 10. Billy Pye spoke and asked everyone to support a mass trespass onto British Coal property to take Sunday Lunch to the three occupiers.
Pump house rally We walked calmly under the pit barrier without the police stopping us. We visited the pump house and had a short rally. We all returned to the pit camps clearly showing that mass civil disobedience will work. dispute was amazed when the For over two weeks we have exercised almost complete control over the pit, stopped over 2,000 tonnes of limestone being delivered and management have fled in the most effective non-trade union action since Saltley Gate.
Better still 75 riot police couldn't defeat eight women, one NUM member and three dummies and went home with their tails between their legs.
Prosecution
British Coal intended to have filled in the shaft within two weeks - this has not been done. Rather British Coal Management face prosecution, not only for abandoning the pit but for damage to a NORWEB sub station and illegally cutting off the electricity supply to large parts of Newton-Le-Willows.
In fleeing from the site and leaving LWAPC almost completely in charge it clearly demonstrates that direct action is the only successful way to beat back the bosses offensive.
Please send messages of sup- TRADE UNION NEWS port and donations to: LWAPC, Parkside Womens Pit Camp, Winwick Road, Newton-Le-Willows, Lancs. Tel: 0925-291799 groups were necessary -