ACTiON battle for everybody.
victories on rate-capping, no victories on abolition, No other leading union - and certainly no other leading figure the Labour Party - has stood up as the NUM have and refused accept economic philosophy that expends Jobs CUlll" munities. They have stood up in a way no other union. has to the philosophy that can always says negotiate your way out of yvu a problem.
When other unions in the basic industries have been confronted with Tory proposals, most of them have accepica albeit reluctantly - the principle of redundancies in orael to keep the industry going The NUM have refused to do that and they're speaking for everybody I am appalled that the TUC took until the congress to make any significant declarațion even OI support in principle for the If the miners are not successful, there will be no NUM. I'm equally appalled at the lackench of the bench Parliamentary Partv Last weekend was the classic example of this. The Sundav Times ran the story of the alleged visit to Libva chief executive of the NUM with allegations of Libyan finances to help the strike.
was immediately conJune lender of the Labour Party.
It is disgraceful to condemn the activities of any on strike without first of all finding out what they are doing. I recognise the right of any union to seek support from trade unionists around the parliamentary motion to that effect has been tabled, signed by representatives of the Came party leadership The ought to know better than to ated by the press re into the mire created the whole allall. Because they did, it then became an issue for week.
But the hypocrisy of the Coal Roard and the Tory government was ex. posed • on cue one Hallu condemning Arthur Scargill and the NUM for seek. ing money unionists anywhere in the at the same time busy investing money themselves and importing South African coal which is keeping the power stations going.
The response of constituency parties throughout dispute Ila. been magnificent. many parts of the country, it has been the making of the The TOO SO the Party nationally, leadership, has to be total support for the NUM. Neil Kinnock, Norman and Arthur Scargill should marching down the road together.
The miners are leading the battle at the present time. who serious about any camin issue in this country has to support the that .. Includes front bench. ty tricks department - the Zinovier letter during the election of 1924 being the most famous. It seems the old firm is still at work.
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I AM DELIGHTED with the NUM's call for sup- port from the wider trade union movement. The time has long passed for any serious trade union ac- tivist to recognise that the NUM battle in reality is a
no victories on the peace campaign. And the Tory government will have its greatest boost so far.
BRIEFING BRIEFING