there.
THE 'Dirty Thirty' are in excellent morale, but it's Myself and NOL OlIV US Malcolm Pinneger have just returned from a tripto the Fife Yorkshire coalfields. The morale is high up there.
Thẻ going back, they tell us, mostly non-faceworkers. Among the faceworkers it remains solid. That's the Board is shy on releasing production figures.
This idea from some in the Welsh NUM leadership of going back without conditions is not on. The rank and file in Wales would not go back in any case.
There's also the issue of the 600 lads who've been sacked in the dispute so far.
In Leicestershire there've been moves to break away Irom The NuM. Three of the four pits decided to accept the rule changes.
It's now up to the area council to decide but we haven't heard of any council meetings vet We think the changes will go through. We've already started leafletting the pits in preparation to recruit the national union. The leaflet woul out caused a lot of controversy at Whittick.
The delegate told the men not to take any more literature from us.
Why? We think we're having an effect on some of the men.
South Leicester was the pit that voted against the rule changes. They realised the situation: it will be the first pit close in Leicestershire.
They have a delegate, Terry Tracey, who we have some respect for, as well as Alan Cooper on the committee. Those two could've had some influence in the decision.
The day of action on rail was a real combined ettort between the ralworkers at Mantle Lane, Coalville, and the 'Dirty Thirty'.
We put a lot of effort into it. The NUR branch has begun expelling members that scab on the solidarity action.
Some times you'll get wo trains moving coal a week. But its really just a propaganda exercise.
There's no more coal being shifted because when they move it through Coalville it means they're not moving from Rawdon colliery. MICK 'RICHO' RICHMOND is a leader of the Leicestershire striking miners, the 'Dirty Thirty'. He told SOCIALIST ACTION how things are going We've begun fortnightly meetings of strikers the alcas.
North and South Staffs, Warks, South Derby, Notts and Leicestershire.
We first organised these meetings to talk about how best to protect ourselves against victimisation when the ends we're back at work.
This has provided an excellent opportunity for me rank are die sunkers 1n these areas to help rebuild LECi We've got everything up front trom being in the minority areas.
The morale is sky-high against the massive intimidation we've faced.
We've circulated a resolution to all the area leaders asking for pledges of support.
If any member suffers victimisation after the minority strikers would come out. DEMOCRACY DAY, on occasion for a massive demonstration against the Tory government local government cuts. Budget day for the Islington, Greenwich, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark will face massive cuts if the Tory proposals go through.
in London alone. there would be f400 million worth of cuts in jobs and services This scale of cuts would be mirrored across the country.
On 7 March councillors WIll have decide whether to implement the government's budget, or whether to stand firm and refuse to cooperate the Tories' attacks on jobs and services.
ine will stall against the attacks. For most councils this will mean taking the 'no-rate' option.
The policy of defying the law,in order to defend jobs and services has been en dorsed throughout the But Kinnock Bally.
clear that they will support une government against those who break the law.
For Labour councils the We now have pledges from all the major areas to support us. That work's been done.
we neneve Inis work organisation of the suikers une MOLLY areas is very important to the NUM. and we want our voice heard in the national The work of the supseen set up to assist us have crucial OcCI tance. I think the Leicester support. collinice be the best in the country.
There's been a drop off in money coming in after Christmas. Its only now starling to pick up The food collections remain excellent. We're al present sending food to Miners! families in Durham.
The Asian community in Leicester have done outstanding work regard. We're getting a lot threatening phone calls. I don't know why. There's not been any physical attacks lately.
I think its a sign of their enoan assmene will 6 March, must be the rate-capped boroughs is Thursday 7 March. Camden, option will be to obey the aw and implement the cuts.
Labour the only real option • example ol the miners, and stand and light.
Ken Livingston put the point in a nut-shell when he explained that local authorities under threat face a clear choice: join the miners in laking achon, or collaboral with Tory cuts.
The Tories had hoped to defeat the miners before taking on local government. ine miners Have rerused lo surrender.
Local Labour Parties, local government workers, now have the ou portunity to open the second front. We must use 6 and 7 March to unite the struggle to defend jobs and services with the struggle of the miners.
Day, March: Assemble al Malet Street, WCI. March to the Festival Hall. effective campaigning we're doing The strike breakers we try to talk to are scared to speak their minds against lack Jones. We tell them were OUL we conl need calling out A lot of the officials just want to take voluntary redundancy.
It's time we started to educate them provided we get the backing nationally.
In five years' time there will be no pits in Leicestershire. The Ical hagcay they've not had the people leading them to make them realise they can fight against this.
The 'Dirty Thirty' Leicestershire Striking Details Miners, Room 346 Municipal Buildings, Charles St, Leicester.
Tel: 0533 532201.
FROM MARCH 6, those of us who are leading authorities threatened with abolition or ratecapping face a choice. Either we are prepared to combine with the miners in taking action whic! could be branded illegal' by the Tory courts, or we collude in devastating the communities we're supposed to represent.
This is precisely the dilemma which the NUM had to face last year, and it seems appropriate that 6 March sees not only the TUC's day of action in defence of democracy — it is also the anniversary of the start of the strike.
I am calling on all supporters of democracy in London, all supporters of local democracy throughout the country and all those who support the miners to turn 6 and 7 March into a massive two-day event of pickets, stoppages, lobbies marking 'second front' in the battle begun by the miners 12 nonths ago The Tories fear two opponents which they ar attempting to destroy: the NUM on the one hand, popular local government on the other. They had banked on forcing the miners to surrender before having to take on local authorities and the GL.C. Now that these plans have come unstuck, a tremendous opportunity opens up before us all.
The conditions exist for us to unite our forces with the miners' strike and build towards a general stoppage of work. says 'the time is not ripe' is simply allowing this government to move on to the next victim. The time is ripe; it requires a policy of total resistance to every thing this government is doing. Use March 6 and 7 to unite our forces into a combined offensive which wil win.
6 Socialist Action 1 March 1985 MARXISM TODAY has
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Leicestershire striking miners' new publicity material is now available. Badges, posters, T-shirts,