new Margam pit opened up are totally false.
ference to accept the 'concept of Margam' delegates arrived know in advance what vote would be taken.
After the delegate conference lodge members not been party to that decision. since then the lages have discussed the posals. if a vote was taken now, after membership participation, the result would siderably different.
The Coal Board are saying that Margam will not be opened unless six-day working is accepted The South Wales area leadership have capitlated this demand without a fight. That is what their recommendation to the delegate conference represented The Board claims that six-day working on a continental shift basis will give miners more days off a rist ior injuries and the vcal. That might be true injuries health. Miners would be working underground for longer periods that is neither acceptable nor create jobs. But no new 10DS would be created. It would lead to the closure of other coking plants such as Marine Six Bells.
Men would be transferred and made redundant. These pits would become "uneconomic'.
The jobs argument is a red herring. The is introducing six-day working proposals by the backdoor. Ine issue isn't The Board are trying to break the procedure of nationalSouth Wales is being used negotiated agreements to clear the path:
five-day week agreement was drawn up nationally in 1947 and is part of the NUM rule If this be changed it must be done by national decision. If South Wales negotiated on six-day working, it would break a rule of 40 years standing a rule which tought Iol many years to win. CLAIMS THAT South Wales miners are prepared to work a six-day coaling week in order to see the The decision of the South Wales area delegate conwas not representative of the feelings of the rank and file. The issue had not been discussed in the lodges. Most with no mandate. They didn't Yorkshire was offered six-day working in Selby. Durham was ottered a new mine with six-day working strings Both these areas turned the offers down.
Secretary, Tower Lodge NUM Tower Lodge NUM has decided to launch a public campaign agains the decision of the South wares conterence This 1s not a step we take lightly but the Margam issue is ar attempt by the Coal Board to break the NUM If national agreements can be broken, the NUM will be The Board will have succeeded destroving what perhaps the best organised section the organised working class. That would be a step backwards for all and all working WULKCIS class organisations Tower has the full backing of its members. I know that 99.9 per cent of HALER CS port the line of our campaign.
The rank and file of the South Wales NUM has got sort out the South Wales-national divide once and for all. To do this the executive must be made accountable and put under the control of its members.
The issue of six-day working should be put to a national ballot. I believe there will be one soon and that it will register an overwhelming proportion of opposed to six-day coaling Des Dutfield claims that South Wales miners can wait four years to decide. But every day the divisions get deeper. believe they will destros our if we don' resolve them.
There are many who is the media has played up the South Wales decision on Margam. And there are some in our own movement that are going along with these attacks on the NUM and its national leadership Neil Kinnock has in terfered in the affairs of OR HON Overlie caus if then tort lepers tor call tor support Margam six-da' working. Likewise TGWU right winger George Wright has said that if the NUM won't organise at Margam, then the transport workers will, although this statement is now been egore. by the TGWU nationally. Comments iike this are a much designed to attack Arthur Scargill as they are to support Margam.
recent special delegate conference of the NUM nationally approved increased subscriptions on the the NUM national executive in order to maintain the national union. This was necessary after taken against us during the This is the first stage in refunding and rebuilding our national organisation Also the election of Sammy Thompson as national vice-president is another stepping stone that direction.
Six-day working is a major issue for the Na.
of Mineworkers. I believe we are
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sat the Board also claims that opening Margam will