[McGahey As the final tatters of left wing…]

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McGahey As the final tatters of left wing "opposition" to pit incentive schemes were torn to shreds in the High Court before Christmas, it was left to Stalinist leaders in and in Kent to utter the last rites over the £135 pay claim by a: greeing to talks on area incentive schemes.

The action-a desperate and reactionary move headed by Yorks leader Arthur Scargill, who had refused to call for action on the basic pay claim-proved only the futility of seeking workers' democracy through either by the NUM conference or by a national ballot.

The rule telling the EC not to act contrary to conference "does not apply"

In his outline of the case he referred both to the 'national interest' and to the "balance of convenience' involved in halting a scheme already underway in some areas.

And he enthusiastically quoted the increase in production in South Derbyshire since their incentive scheme began!

Whether or not a majority of NUM members were opposed to incentives, the judge declared, the majority seemed to include men like cokemen and the power group already on bonuses.

It is hard to imagine a more brazen declaration that the courts are wholly and irretrievably the instrument of the employers and their agents and opposed to the independent workers' movement.

The long struggle at the Metropole Hotel in London has ended in defeat and dismissal for the seven workers still on strike. These workers were betrayed by theit union officials who were able to increasingly isolate the strikers.

In a future issue of Socialist Press we will be publishing a history of the struggle and the lessons that have to be learned.

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SOCIALIST PRESS DISK leader' were ousted from their posts, while the RPP took a majority on the Executive and on the General