At the start I just cried meets every Tuesday evening at Bold miners club.
MARTINE BONADONA asked her about her involvement in the How did the strike change your life?
At first I was totally opposed to the strike. I did not know anything. about it. I used to listen religiously to what l heard on TV. It's only Steve's involvement that got me involved.
At the beginning all I did was cry when the bills came through the door. Steve altered me. We had to get used to no money so I don't go to the supermarket any more. It is too tempting.
GET YOU DOWN Women have come more and more 1o the Hazel: And if women are unemployed and on supplementary benefit it's very Mary and Helen tell me you r attitude to sitting down To be honest if a policemar came up to move me I'd be violent in « my reactions.
Hazel: I'd be prepared to sit down anc moved even though I would feel violent - if I thought it was disrupting them I would do anything to win the Stary: What I did notice is that gahg us older said 'Don'i women forget girls be careful' But when it came to the crunch and I saw four or five police onto one miner I got heated. The flats of my hands really hurt afterwards from hitting the police. They elbow you out of the way as if you're of no account at all.
Hazel: Yes the state wants to put across it's the miners who are violent. Mary: I can vouch for it, not one miner on that picket attacked a policeman. What do you think of the support the NUM has received from the rest of the labour movement!
Mary: I think there could he more supHazel: Yes where is the TUC? Mary: Some people contribute money every week and that's it. They've done I certainly think Mr Kinnock could have come on the picket lines with the Hazel: Yes he didn't speak out until 11 weeks into the strike.
Mary: And then he'd have been better off keeping his mouth shut with what needs and our rights, so then we set up a commuttee We started the food parcels and the help to children It was good for women not to sit in a house seven days and seven nights a week listening to the junk on TV. Steve went to rallies, then they said some thing on TV and Steve said it wasn'l The was there.
We had constant arguments at the beginning. The children were suffering. The beginning was the hardest. Now I still worry about the mortgage but there are other people.
Did your husband help you in your involvement?
We have quarrelled about it. It'salright for him to be out all the time, but he said I was neglecting the children. when I got involved. Did I say he was neglecting the children? But we don't argue so
Fore in this strike.
Mary: But the Cardiff Labour Parties have been great: Asking you to speak, collecting food, giving us money and moral backing.
Hazel: And Mid-Glamorgan Education authority gave us free school meals, inenough for what's needed.
mittees have moved a lot.
favour autonomy.
greater representation. have got the power the Wales more women joining. Hazel: But right-wing. They Hazel: The leadership is too weak. If you're a good socialist you get expelled. I don't think you can move them fast Vera: But the Women's support ComWe've got organisations the Labour Party. I think you've done us a because in this strike you've won the argument for women's Stevi: That's true, at the Wales Labour Party Conterence we won ine support of the NUM for our demands for The to intluence the selection of MPs in Wales. The reason possible is because there are too few people confronting the right-wing in Hazel: That's why I haven't joined you, I feel isolated in the valleys. Stevi: But the Women's Organisation is to the left of the Party as a whole. Women are taking the lead in the Party as well as outside so it's vital we have although appears everyone is united so many women are seem believe everything they read in the newspapers. Yes of course the majority do and "Our gallant police' in action - brave lads!
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ck?" SALE: AREA N.U.M MY LADO