FIRST WEEKLY EDITION including
Socialist Press1977 1977-11-02Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 1 →
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Miners must press £135 claim The result of the miners' ballot on oncerejected productivity deals was awaited as we went to press with the national papers predicting a small majority in favour.
Both the Coal Board and the NUM executive have produced a torrent of propaganda in favour of the deal while only Yorks leader Scargill campaigned against.
The | Communist Party refused to make any effort to uphold NUM conference policy against productivity deals apart from their damaging and ridiculous appeal to the courts.
The NUM executive want Had MLA Scargill IRELAND (New Series). Kruschev Remembers .. Will Leyland Close Down?. Our Policies (New Series) . the deal not so much for itself but because they regard it as an alternative to the NUM £135 a week pay claim.
The deal is a step backwards for miners and a total diversion from the pay fight.
It has already allowed the Executive to overrule the national conference and struck a savage blow against democracy in the union.
NUM members must fight for the £135 claim to be ruthlessly pursued regardless of the result of the ballot.
Productivity deals can bring nothing but an increased rate of exploitation for miners while the value of the puny extra cash on offer will swiftly eroded inflation.
Inflation "The miners' £135 claim itself makes no allowance for the protection of wages against inflation.
But it presents the miners best chance of restoring their living standards.
It was because miners recognised this in 1974 that they threw out productivity deals then.
The fight for wages must go ahead now against the Stalinists and right wingers who are striving to tie the miners hand and foot.