'IS ANYBODY going to stand against Arthur? Is there anybody brave enough?' asked Dennis Skinner at a 15 November George Rees, and seek re-election.
NUM general SCCIC tary, Peter Heathfield, also spoke at the Barnsley meeting. He explained the background Arthur Scargill's decision resign and seek reelection in a pithead ballot on 22 italy.
"new reansts or the NUM executive, he said, were calling for compromise conciliation in the TaCe the coal board's attacks. But every time the NUM conceded a compromise, management moved the goal posts, Heathfield stated.
Scargill's decision
stand for reelection announced at a meeting of the NUM executive on 12 November. The executive agenda had been dominated by the eightWeek long overtime ban against British Coal's newly-imposed code of conduct.
Government ministers and British Coal management now openly stating that the code designed to victimise NUM branch officials and militants. But despite the massive 77 per cent ballot vote in lavour or achon against the code the overtime ban decided by a majority of the NUM executive only limited production of coal in overnot maintenance or development work.
Attempts "Durham Yorkshire NUM areas to force the executive to make the overtime ban effective have BY 17 votes to 13, the executive of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions (CSEU) have rejected employers federation proposals for radical changes in working practices.
The employers were offering a reduction in the working week of oneand-a-half hours over three years for non-shift engineering workers in return for job flexibility, Barnsley meeting organised to who at a previous executive meeting been rejected by a combination of the right wing and the area leaders from South Wales Scotland.
British Coal management has taken this to be a sign of weakness, an occasion for pressing forward their attacks:
Payment of this vers ware licicase due this month, has Deer withheld NUM members until the time ban is lifted.
• Pit closures jobs losses have increased in the la British Coal's soBritish called Democratic Mineworkers (UDM) has Tannered management-sponsored recruitment drive.
investment being used blackmail miners into giving up the five-day week for six-day working and longer shifts.
Privatisation plans for electricity coal enthe 1990s with just 70,000 miners and 70 pits. This would mean complete closure of the Durham North Derbyshire Kent coalfields under 2000 miners in Scotland and the concentration of 'streamlined', high production' mining Yorkshire, Notts and the Midlands, In small number of 'super-pits' At the executive meeting on 12 November, - with Scargill's support - proposed that special delegate be convened to discuss furEngineers flexibility deal rejected management-determined shift patterns to silow 'maximum plant utilisation' and other measures which together constituted the elimination of rights established over decades of struggle. Shift workers, who already work a 37.5 hour week, would have received no reduction.
AEU president, Bill Jordan, had strongly campaigned in favour of ther action against the code. This was rejected.
Arthur Scargill summarised the choice facing miners al ine su wave Memorial lecture in water being between realism', what he described as the 'politics of fear' — and 'class struggle' realists' are based on 'defeatism' in Scargill's view, calling 'for an end to confrontation and class struggle seeking a strategy of coalition collaboratior com promise. Instead of miliLalIL action, Scargill plained, the realists for 'lobbies of parliament, demonstrations, and broad alliances involving all sections including the churches.
"They this proof action substitute for, complimentary to, industrial action.' meeting of the Yorkshire area council on Monday November voted by 51 votes to two to recommend the area's 53 branches țo back Scargill's reelection. Branch nominations will now made and the area council December UL. the Yorkshire nomination.
There was no suppor a move by the time agent, John Walsh for the area , to seek legal advice on Scargill's decision to seek reelection. Walsh has been canvassed possible right-wing as a media. now, Walsh has said that his preparedness to depends on his support in the union's areas, strong pressure, including from within the right wing within the labour movemore generally, him to stand.
potential candidate touted by the media, S Wales area president, Des Dutfield, has detinitive v ruled himself out.
the proposals whieh were the calmination of four years of talks. The CSEU executive decision is a for blow to hi iship and reffected growing opposition of gingeting workers throughout the industry to the deal.
The issue of the shorter working week now becomes part of the annual pay claim te which the engineering employers are aue te reply on 23 November. THE VALE OF ITS FOR LEICS NUM LEICESTERSHIRE BEVOIR NOT LINKS GAFFERS BO% IS IN
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fight the closure of Redbrook and Woolley pits. None of the NUM president's critics has rushed to throw their hat into the ring. South Wales secretary,
had called for Scargill's resignation, could only br- ing himself to move that the executive refuse to ac- cept the NUM president's decision to stand down