wider trade union movement in Britain.
My visit to Germany lasted two weeks together with another colleague OI ine travelled the length breadth the COMELY They tour was organised through the Socialist Action and the GIM, (Gruppe Internationale Marxisten) German section of the Fourth International.
The West German 35-hour week struggle was underway and we attended pickets at the Opei factory Rüsselheim Frankfurt Knecht car component factory at the LOWI Lorsch near Stuttgart. At hoth pickets we received an enthusiastic weicome and collections were made for us after dressed the pickets.
Public meetings were held throughout West Germany West Berlin) where we described workers our reasons for striking our living conditions and the hardships that miners' families are now suffering.
After every meeting the trom the floor always concerned the national ballot; how did we DURING THE present dispute in the coal industry I many and Belgium to ask workers in these two coun tries for aid. Also to describe to them the nature of our dispute and the reaction of the Thatcher government and its attempts to defeat the NUM and the survive without strike pay; the role women's support groups.
Bold NUM, St Helens, Lancs Unfortunately we did not have much contact with German trade union officials, with the notable exception of the printers we soon realised the bureaucratic nature of German trade unionism.
In Belgium myself and a miner's wife received a warmhearted enthusiastic reception from members of the SAS/POS, the Belgian section of the Fourth International.
We visisted steel workers in Liège and the Renault Brussels. The format of the tour was much thi same as that in Germany. susan, my companion on the tour, was also interviewed by several women's magazines, the interviewers showing deep concern for the hardship sutfered by miners' wives and families.
Belgium we had more contact with trade officials than in but of Germanv, course the development and histories of the unions in both countries is entirely different.
The politico-socia history of Belgium are closely linked and Belgium has a long history of militancy an workers' struggle.
The trade union movement in Germany, on the other hand was destroyed in loss ano te top-neavy bureaucratic trade union system of today was formulated by the allies in 1945 with the assistance of such TUC notables as Vic Feather!
As regards financial support, both visits were a tremendous success and I am SUll with newly formed friends from DO COlLECS For me personally both visits Were an unforgettable experience. Before going abroad I considered myself to be conveniently pigeon-holed thus: miner British, Lancashire. Now I feel I can be categorised simply as 'worker.
If every working man and woman could have the opportunity to visit other workers lie would sooT realise that what unites us greater than what seperates us. What separates us. What separ ates ion on the really only globe's surThanks to the efforts of supporters of Socialis!
Action in Manchester, and similar groups in Germany and Belgium, I feel! can now truly call myself an internationalist.
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aais Rood sprak met Dennis Pennington Thatcher buiten