SOUTH NOTTS miners lines.
file miners blems.
'We need a strike committee in south Notts, and at last we nave got one. Al first we had big problems because we had never done this before. At Cotgrave a of men came out decided to go back to lobtheir mates OUL.
'Trouble was that there Was other way! I did a one-man lobbying the picket as a protest against wrongtul arrest. Now W C have a hardcore of 80 or SU. Some of the people think that they should protect the branch and work. But we put the national first. 'The NCB press try to make out that things are nearly normal in Notts, except for the Yorkshire coming down. But the Notts lads aie also pickeullig. There's about 10 to 12,000 men out here. The NCB is brib ing people to stay in. At down by LUI ave 20,000 tonnes, but the bonus is only down from £55 to £45.
'At some pits where bonus was only £8/9 have had difficulties organising the strike in their part of the coalfield.
result, they have been cut off from all branch resources, and their leaders are crossing the picket At Pye Hill the branch officials threatened to take the union to court to stop funds going to the strike. The strikers are therefore mainly rank and have not had much previous organising experience. PAT HICKEY spoke to JIM ROBINSON from Cotgrave Colliery about the proweek it's now £30/40.
During the overtime ban when maintenance had to be done on Mondays men were sent home without pay. Now they pay them to sit in the canteen. They also let them off early to avoid the pickets. 'But the strikers out.
We 11U W organised much better.
We have the strike com mittee the Trades Council has up a support committee. It's late in the day aller nine weeks. We are the frontline troops. ror seven weeks there was not one soup kitchen in the We've lost £1500 in di ca wages so far. The rest of the movement now has to make sacrifices. We need money and food. We need to coordinate our activity.
Some people are talking about Spencer unions. 'There will be n c Spencer unions in Notts.
We've got 7000 flying pickets. We need money for them as well to them on the road. We're having a big effect. Coal GOWn falling. We're out till we win.
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There are fewer of them on strike, and a high pro- portion of the branch officials are working. As a