conferences adopted at the previous claiming that they had not been endorsed by the NUM. The secretary reported that they had in fact met Peter Heathfield and they had been cleared by him. Alan Meale insisted that this was not enough, that they had not been agreed by the NUM National Executive, and that they should be reterred back. This was accepted by the Chair.
An attempt was made by one delgate to move that a letter be sent to Neil Kinnock urging him to stand by statements that he had made Scotland to the effect that victimised miners would be reinstated by a future Labour Government. This was bitterly challenged by Eric Clark and George Bolton who said that it was about time we stopped demands on Neil Kinnock and started to build some unity with him. The mover withdrew the resolution.
On the controversial issue of
Regional
Mineworkers Campaigns the lid was put on just as tightly. They would no autonomous.
that this
NUM. In reply to a question asking sehow a campaian be got off the ground in Yorkshire, Billy Etherington said:
"Ring Sammy Thompson and ask him arose tee in the near future we were told.
Suggestions made would be taken inexisting to account.
in the Wembly Conference centre in early autumn summer.
to the meeting steering paign potential was being realised.
future activities.
be given active support.
Co-ordinating Committee
The co-ordinating
Miners' putting shortly.
Socialist Viewpoint No. 12 May 1986 p9
YORKS HIRE
NUM.
THE ONLY WAY TOEN THIS STRUGGLE IS BY WINNING NO National Justice for but controlled representative directly by the area offices of the
NUM
No decision were taken on future campaigns. These would be decided at a meeting of the steering commit-
There were proposals for At Regional Heroes Concerts. A concert and a national labour force. demonstration in Nottingham in the
At the end of the meeting Billy Yorkshire, Etherington relented to some extent on future meetings, saying that the profitable committee will decide if future open meetings will take place. If the tenor of that meeting is to be a guide, however, It looks as if the camis going to be stifled and demobilised just at a time when its
Affiliated bodies should try to ensure that this negative development is reversed. The Campaign is very imporant and well placed to make a major contribution to the campagin tor the victimised miners. Proposals for particularly the demonstration in Nottingham, should remains committee of Support Groups is callng a conference in Sheffield on May 31. The final details are to be announced
The purpose of the conference will be to boost the work of the support
Groups and map out activity for the rest of this year. Speakers are being invited from the NUM, WAPC.
of the victimised miners from each area wil be invited to give a report on the latest situation. Inside the pits the NCB is continuing to pile on the pressure They are trying to force a wage settlement on the NUM by announcing this week that if the claim is not settled by April 30, miners will lose their entitlement to back pay to November 1.
the same time production targets haave been increased by one third nationally with a shrinking
There have been disputes over these levels of speed up in some of the areas, particularly but many of the lodges and branches now see making the pit as a way of avoiding closure. The NCB is getting what it wanted in the first place — a competition for productivity between the pits.
Kinsley Drift in Yorkshire, which is less than 10 years old — is still on the closure list after losing in the national review procedure. It now goes to "independent review"
Thurcroft, in Yorkshire, has struck for a week refusing to work with a scab from the strike. The scab has now been moved to Nottingham.
There is militancy amonst the rank and file miners despite the defeat they have had and the succes of the NCB since the strike. The problem one of shaping that willingness to continue the fight into a co-ordinated rank and file movement in the NUM which can develop it on a national level. It is that rank and file struggle which represents the spirit of the 1984/5 strike, not Regional full time officials, many of whom had a very poor record in it.