Num Leaders to Accept 12-month Rule

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The decision of the National Union of Mineworkers National Executive last week not to push forward in pursuit of their £135 pay claim exposes the complete weakness of the union lefts.

Arthur Scargill stormed out of the meeting lashing out at the decision to investigate local productivity deals despite the overwhelming ballot against them.

Playing down

But Scargill, taunted by right wingers in the Executive who dared him to back a ballot for • strike action, refused to do so.

Instead, his public utterances are now concerned only with playing down talk of can only reduce the confidence of his supporters-who last week were convinced that a strike poll was a formality.

Gauntlet

Len Clarke, Nottinghamshire right winger, threw down the gauntlet to the left by proposing an immediate strike poll.

His fellow right wingers were horrified. An immediate poll could not fail. but reflect the vote on the productivity But Clarke had calculated correctly. Scargill stayed quiet and the motion fell by default.

The move came after three hours of bitter argument in which Gormley backed his claims that Scargill's campaign had been "worse than Goebbels".

Company director Gormley, furious that his Scargill dictates on productivity deals were rejected, is now going ahead with moves to initiate productivity deals in areas which had majorities locally.

It is for this reason that no delay can be allowed in the miners' fight for the £135 wage.

Scargill fought hard against the productivity deal but is now behaving like a man surprised to win-and frightened by his responsibilities.

Socialist Press last week correctly • warned that the right wing policy would be to delay action on the claim until i the spring and that Scargill would be unable to fight the manoeuvre.

It is not a question of his subjective militancy but his lack of a clear programme to counter the right wing.

Scargill must demand that the 12-month rule is fought, and a strike ballot called.

Meanwhile miners can afford to put faith neither in the company director right wing nor in the militant lett.

If evidence • is needed of what so called lefts can be reduced to, Mick McGahey, Communist Party member and once feared by the capitalist press, has now himselt supported increased productivity-with no pay increase!

The union Vice-President said after the Executive meeting: "It's nonsense to talk about confrontation and bringing down the government. That's all pure speculation when we haven't met the board yet."