cluding in the holidays and free bus passes.
Mary: I heard Eric Heffer on the television this morning. He said he'd down here demonstrating outside the offices protesting at the sequestration of NUM funds with the miners. always thought Tony Benn was a bit eccentric but I've changed my mind. I was really surprised at the way he's stood up for the miners. Him and Dennis Skinner have been really good so has Ray Powell one of our local MPs.
But there have been a lot of complaints about Neil Kinnock. He comes from a mining community after all. Vera: This brings me to something else about this strike. What are the women going to do afterwards. You can keep the miners support groups but what status will they have? alignments are women going to make. Mary: But we're all Labour! Vera: Yes but what about the fight in the Labour Party. What about dealing with people like Neil Kinnock. Mary: It's very difficult because he's our only hope of getting back in power yet he doesn't support our battles. Hazel: If they put tony benn wnere Neil Kinnock is I'd join the Labour Partv tomorrow Have you thought about joining and carrying on the fight you're waging now in this strike?
Mary: I'm too busy.
Who looks after the children when you are both out?
My family is very good to us, so my parents or his take the children.
that's going be CYCL night, l've that's a big step forward?
after this strike's over?
think should W C the miners to go down the pit. What political can't we be members?
movement for pay, abortion on demand?
Yes definitely we're women's movement. dıscussed those come aler going to be able to stop us.
With the baby in the strike.
to change until something happens that really affects them. But look at women in this strike. How many of you went to meetings many went on demonstrations and pickets, discussed politics in this way. Look how many getting involved Vera: Do you think the NUM will allow women to participate in lodge business Mary: I think a lot of things will change after this strike's over. They won't be been able to keep women out. We've played such a big part that we're getting invited to more and more meetings I have Honorary membership of the NUM. We service So would you say that the organisation letter dispute has contributed to the building of the broader liberation?
Have you had any discussions around feminist demands like childcare, equal part of the But we haven't because haven't had time. That will probably I don't think the miners' wives realised they could do as much as they support. have done. Now I don't think you're who doesn't sleep very well, I am very tired at the end of the day. Steve's never here. He believes UP AND DOWN the country women from the mining munities have been joining miners' picket lines, meetings and demonstrations. Here they learned first hand about violence of the police, and have themselves victims of specially refined types of violence that the police have reserved for women, an attempt to drive them out of activity and back into their homes.
Below we publish extracts of a miners' wives Calverton sent to Alec Woodhall, MP for Hemsworth, which he has circulated around the PLP.
It was a lovely sunny evening and we gathered on the pavement in a jovial mood, sang a few songs, shouted a few slogans, and joked with the half-dozen police officers present. Most of the women had no experience of picketing, and went partly out of curiosity, partly out of a desire to show our menfolk our The atmosphere was relaxed and jovial until police reinforcements arrived. They at once surrounded the picket and told the women to move to a different part of the pavement. Women who questioned this or who resisted being pushed were arrested. Women who intervened when their friends were arrested got arrested too. around her throat. 'Let her walk', said com- one of the officers. 'No, let's drag her,' the said the other.
They did drag her, face downwards, have so her knees and the tops of her feet in the open grazed. She blacked out, and had to be sandals were taken to hospital. the At about 11pm the police van left Calverton for Hucknall Police Station It was quite dark inside, and the women locked in their individual cages were shaken and bruised as the van raced at high speed down the winding country roads, swerving and braking sharply. By now they were very fightened and confused.
At Hucknall Police station things did not get better.
Women were at last allowed to go to the toilet, but they were escorted by male police officers - this made it very difficult for some women to take advantage of the relief offered. Besides which the toilet, which was in an open corridor, was filthy, apparently did not flush, and was caked with excrement.
Miners At the police station, a number of the women asked to make a phone call, which they believed to be their right. They were refused. In some cases, the police did in fact contact the woman's husband, but ther their husbands had been contacted; nor were women told that husbands and friends had contacted the station to enquire after them.
This was very distressing, especially for the women with children, who did not know what arrangements if any had been made for their children to be looked after. woman sixteen-week old DaD. always thought the police were supposed to care about people, but when I told them I wanted to speak to my husband becduse I was worried about my baby, they just laughed and said if I really cared about the baby I wouldn't have gone on the picket line.' The women were taken one by one for questioning. usual questions, they were asked very detailed questions about their family circumstances, HP and mortgage commitments all battered Jaguar this year.' Deep vagrants, Some ly through and would printed.
were did not tell them home.
they who had said: I've a complaint with every seemed systematic degrade In addition to the These their 'attitudes'. In terspered with the questions, were all sorts of 'humorous' remarks such as 'Did you know Arthur Scargill's just had three tons of coal delivered to his house.' 'What do you think of this new Arthur Scargill just bought himself' and •We're hoping this strike is going to go on — the overtime's greal • we'll be having two holidays abroad By about 2am, most of the women had been interviewed and were locked up in individual cells • these are the cells normally kept for drunks and were filthy, with mattresses and blankets stinking of urine, and some with traces of excrement.
They were given a cup of tea - their first refreshment during this ordeal.
were fingerprinted (without warrant) during their interview. Others were woken up periodicalthe night to ask them whether they had 'changed their minds' consent to being fingerThey were told they would appear in court at 10am. Then it was changed to 2pm. Then to 4pm. Then to 5pm. Finally, at twenty minutes to five, they allowed see solicitor.
In court, before a single Magistrate, the usual notorious bail conditions were imposed, and at last the weary bewildered women were allowed to go From all the catalogue of horrors experienced, perhaps the most horrific thing was that these were not isolated incidents where individual policemen overstepped the mark, and where it would be appropriate to make - Dul CYCL officer, from the rough handling, to the constant taunts about 'overtime' to the disregard for privacy, comfort or basic legal rights — all these Jali of a total pattern. attempt bully 'respectable' women, whose respect for the law had been unquestioning. Their faith in our system of justice has been totally shattered.