the There can he no doube that the Jim Callaghan are peaying that Ashion is right. Given that the 55 per produtivity deal took them productivity deal took them all by surprise, it is likely that God will presently be entertaining a multitude of supplicants The meeting minera' national executive will set the pace of events over the coming weeks. The demand for a National Union of Mineworkers conterence адо рінсро остого сис Coal Board three woeks ago, is top of the agenda.
Callaghan *over my dead body.
TUC refuses to back attempts to override the 10 per cent pay coris, and defers to the Government and the international han rule.
AMPUTATE The miners" claim, if it comes anywhere near achieving a loler ile wage, would amputate ba arms Ts pay polcy. A minety than ten; and the ference decision is that it has to be payable from the beginning of chis month, not 12 month routise dictates = from next March.
ahort, a clear sucoess for t lers' demands would 598 profit. With this and the very LABOUR MP Joe Ashton, whose Bassetlaw constituency straddles coalfield country in Yorks and Notts, confident there won't be a miners' strike. "There are months of negotiations ahead', he considers, and sil kinds of things can be negotiated.
their friends today of the by the last already said while the blocking i the Labour Gove NUM agement's tbe policycarry out their conference's claim. ballot."
is existence of a right-wing Labaur Government at stake, Joe Ashton is correct to suppose that an all-our propuganda offensive and of the day for the bosses and Party. SCOTTISH MINER possibilities VOTE NO — to a return to the piece-rate jungle leaders rejected.
EIGHT FORJ — better and decent basic wages The barle ar roday's NUM executive meeting will be over right-wing's caim, on which a ballat will te cmpts to hold back on the necessary before industrial action a determined can connence, following manment of the Government's pay As Emiyn Williams, presiden Gonner & o on incentive bonuses, they mast mandate The important thing is to win the next If is reaches a ballat, the result the Government-TUC pay pact and so productivity scheming is acely trying to ply for. Their rejoinder to their thrashing last wock was to lare ao appea De the miners to work barder.
of a 1973 Adding his signature to thos NUM's president an general secretar -MEI BEL Iwa) Mick MeGabes Scottish area preddest and lend The statement said in "We mast explore the available colliery to achiere an increase in coal production im order to Used In Plan for Coal.
The effect of MoCabey assocvres of the union's right-wing will be to streogthen thi bid to block the full wage claim through productivity ploys.
The reality of all the taik abou the scheme that bas just bec The Coal Board bac told the Department of Energ: that it would lead to a product Ivity increase of 10 to 15 per cen for a selected wage incrense ol more chan "blood on the coal" against pir" used by the militant arcas in their campaign for a No vote are no exageration. It tobl and prolonged struggle by the miners in the last century and this to defest the dangerous and divisive results of and bonus schemes in the pits. But this is evidently not enough to deter Uncle Joe is pol altogetber in the Government's good books at the present time. One Cabinet Minister said after hearing the result of the hallot: Joe Gormles could be the first man to bring incompeterice. Goriley had removed bimasell to Australia for Tony Beon at the Energ Department has also been up te his usual snakey performance.
codorse the incentive plan, bu then told miners to vote for ir "The Conservative Party sem to imagine that it can diver Labour from giving support te the NUM." Benn Heath's confrontation with tb miners in the winter DE 1973-14 *But it knows bothing abour the NUM or the Labour Party if H thinks ever separated?
As The Ecomomist conments *This week the NUM divorce procedings. -The din orce clearly has to be with the Tory policies of Callaghan's cres and all those who support them.
Already the nion ASLER ha that its members will not cross a miners picket line That de mund, touther with Tul suppor for the ininers" claim, must be taken up throughout the workto have the backing they will need to take on the Governent, hight and bow places hope the outcome of the ballor hai given ocher worker confidence Enuyo told Socialist Challenge. ever be modia s8%. the miner sould receive strong support or tbe pay tront There is solid apposition at the base of the trade unions over the pay limit the leaderships bave acoeprod Ir is thar apposition that the miners" struggle can nos help to a decisive step forward for the entire working class