JAILED Kent NUM President, Malcolm Pitt, due back in court just as we go io Fleet Street unions have threatened to call strike that would shut down the national press.
This is the only way for the labour movement to respond to the attempts use the police and courts to repress workers engaged in struggles.
Since the beginning of the miners' government and the NCB have clearly been weighing whether the time right to against the strike.
retreated using the anti-union laws the agas lit way that they had done against the NGA Warrington, beause was clear that this would simply serve to umie we tiners in their determination to struggle.
Since then we've seen them using the police in a nationwide military operation against the There have been hundreds of arrests, many Strikers, dan wore supEarly on in the strike there was the scandal arrested pickets being askpontical alla tions whether they left papers. There's been and probably 'agents 010l ul CurS on the picket fines In Malcolm Pitt's book the 1972 Kent, The World On Our Backs, he details examples of how the miners knew their phones were tapped.
'On one occasion, tre women the local a collection for the miners wirel ther the over to the Hall, steward told the pickets that their phone was definitely tapped by the police. The mes arranged for a phoney call to be made through the Hall or a numper ot "flying squad" men to move immedlately certain station. subsepower the power station contirmof carloads of police had turned up to anticipate the expected trouble.
All through this strike the police have denied that they are tapping phones. but it is obvious that the! are using this or a similar method lile miners' movements.
Other forms of legal illegal harassment have been used against the pickets. of miners were arrested for distributing a leaflet with a quote about scabs from a book by Jack London. on ine grounds i was orien sive and obscene. Others have been threatened with arrest for simply chanting the word scab' On the Mansfield they dug up medieval riot laws 10 charge demonstrators involved in clashes with the police Women arrested on of the Nottingham picket lines were kept in custody for hours without access to a toilet.
woman was kept in handcuffs until her wrists bled. They thought they could frighten women off the picket lines. but their response was to go straight back on the gates.
It is obvious that the would like to try the ahe NCk and the governmen proach of stepping up repression, sending a few miners to jail, in the hopr they can scare the miners into sealing down the action. Maybe the first jailed will be Malcolm Pitt.
If they choose to that they will have to learn straightaway that it is very big mistake. mediate response must be to step-up round the The for Sogat '82 lays a firm basis for that and must be built For we can be sure that even if they draw from jailing Malcolm Pitt,
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press. If he is not releas- ed Sogat '82 and other
porters, have been detain- ed in custody for hours.