Yorks Num Says 'no' to Court Costs

Scan page 10

The Yorkshire Area Council of the NUM has thrown out a branch motion calling on them to pay the legal costs of two right-wingers who successfully fought for injunctions against the union.

The injunctions had the effect of lifting two year suspensions from office imposed on the two men -William O'Brien, branch secretary of Glasshoughton Main Colliery and Tom Roebuck, former secretary at Manvers Main.

They had been disciplined in this way after they gave union documents and information to lawyers defending the Sheffield Star against a libel action brought on behalf of the union by Yorkshire President Arthur Scargill.

The resolution to the Yorkshire Council called for the right wingers' costs in seeking the injunction to be met out of the funds which have amassed out of members subscriptions.

The right-wing even went so far to call for a ballot of members on the question - certain of course that they would receive full support from the local and national press in any attack they led against Scargil and the militant Yorkshire leadership.

The effect of these reactionary steps taken by the right-wing has been to severely attack union finances. The three-day hearing at which they obtained the injunction against the Area Council is estimated to have cost the union at least £6,000.

Now the right wingers make. it clear they intend to proceed to a full trial which will drain union funds by anything from £50,000£100,000.

The use of the law by the right wing in their attempts to secure a stranglehold over the NUM in Yorkshire must be firmly opposed.

Scargill and other Yorkshire leaders must take all necessary steps to isolate and defeat these right wingers who value the court decisions, the press and the policies of the capitalist class above the organisations built in struggle by miners to defend their rights.