News, Views & Updates

PRESS RELEASE
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF HOW MANY ARE INNOCENT - LAY PERSON'S GUIDE TO MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICES INCLUDES SHEFFIELD MAN, MARK BARNSLEY, CONVICTED IN 1995.

The BBC put their Faith in Stainforth
Big Strike Productions are in the little pit village of Stainforth to create a one-off drama called Faith, for the BBC, which is to be screened sometime in 2005.

MASS SEND OFF FOR ‘FROGGY’
In scenes reminiscent of Freddy Matthews funeral in 1972 the little mining town of Annesley in Nottingham was a sea of bodies, here today Friday 27 Aug

Death Of Eric Fowler
Hatfield miners will be saddened to learn of the death of our aud marra, Eric Fowler

Death Of Paul Foot
Revolutionary Socialist, ace journalist and campaigner Paul Foot passed away this week.

FAMILY UNITED IN GRIEF FOR 'FROGGY'
The grieving daughter of murdered ex-miner Keith Frogson has flown back to Britain for an emotional reunion with her family.

Death of Ian Ferguson
Comrade Ian Ferguson former Chairman of the Doncaster NUM Panel and NUM Branch Secretary at Yorkshire Main Colliery.

All Wind and Hot Water.
Dave's letter to the Thorne Gazette, which surprise surprise they didnt publish, what did we ever do to that paper ?

LYING FOR ENGLAND
Following our successful lobby in London, we thought we had got the job cracked.

MINERS CHEST DISEASES
Ex-miners, and families of miners now deceased
ONLY THREE MONTHS LEFT TO CLAIM !!! (Posted December 2003)

For more news items visit our Other News pages
Our News, Views & Updates page was getting a little on the large side, so to aid faster loading times I have moved the older news items to Other News Pages

This Monday 20th Dec, at the NUM Yorkshire Area NUM Council meeting, David Douglass attended as Union Delegate for the Hatfield Main Branch of the union for the last time. The branch will close entirely in March of next year, it will bring satisfaction to no-one except perhaps those employers who fought to kill the militant branch and ceased recognition of it back in 1994. The Branch fought on another ten years following this and finally just before Budge went bankrupt the coal owner had conceded our long running recognition fight and agreed to recognise the union and Dave as its senior official. Dave has been NUM delegate for the last 25 years and seen the branch through its stormiest years. We will not retell the story here, we are planning a major social and rally to mark the closure of the branch in March. Details follow. The Council expressed its unanimous congratulations for the efforts he made over the years, despite many stormy years via-a-vis of battles within the union fighting first the right wing and moderate tendencies and then for rank and file democracy.

Source - Dispatch Friday 10th December 2004
A video tape recorded in Nottinghamshire during the miners strike is to be released for sale as a DVD to raise money for miners' charities. The initial release will take place on Saturday 11th December at Hucknall .
The event is to be stages at the town's Plough & Harrow pub on the High Street for members of the "Loyal to the last" fraternity of miners who stayed loyal to the NUM throughout the strike.

Newspaper clip 1 - Newspaper clip 2 - Newspaper clip 3

Miners forced down blazing pit 'to secure bonuses for bosses'
SCMP
2004-12-01
Alice Yan

Senior managers of the Chenjia-shan coal mine forced workers to descend into the blazing mine in the week before Sunday's explosion because they wanted to get a 400,000 yuan bonus each for exceeding their production target, relatives of the trapped miners said yesterday.
Anger and anxiety continued to mount outside the mine as rescuers pulled a further 38 bodies to the surface, bringing the total official death toll from the blast to 63.

More than 100 trapped miners are still missing in what could be the worst coal mine accident on the mainland in recent years. There is little hope any survivors will be found.

Zhang Xiumei, the wife of a missing miner, told the Chongqing Morning Post the mine director was only interested in profits and neglected the safety of workers.

"They knew about the fire on November 23 but did not stop production. They forced workers to go underground after putting out part of the fire, but some layers of coal were still burning," she said. "My husband told me about it and said the heads of the mine did not care whether the workers lived or died.

"They only wanted their 400,000 yuan per-person bonus for exceeding production targets," she added, pointing the blame at mine director Liu Shuangming and his deputy, Zheng Fumin.

According to the Tongchuan mine bureau, the Chenjia-shan coal mine was expected to produce 1.8 million tonnes of coal this year. If it reached 2.2 million tonnes, the director and the vice-director would be rewarded with 400,000 yuan each.

The mine achieved the 1.8 million-tonne target by October, and one worker told the newspaper that management bonuses would be slashed if production was suspended as a result of the blaze.

Shaanxi coal industry department director Huo Shichang told the China News Service that the underground ventilation system had been destroyed and the mine was still riddled with fire and poisonous gas.

Xinhua reported the State Administration of Work Safety had sent five gas, ventilation and fire-fighting specialists to the mine to aid rescue efforts.

"The investigation team led by the State Council officials has already started work and we will seriously deal with anybody found to be at fault," Mr Huo said.

'Rebirth of coal' pit closes down
By Paul Stokes
The Daily Telegraph, (Filed: 27/10/2004)

Selby coalfield in North Yorkshire, an underground site the size of the Isle of Wight, supported 3,500 jobs in its heyday and yielded 120 million tons. The last of its five mines, the so-called "superpit" at Riccall, closed with most of its remaining 300 workers seeking jobs away from the coalface.

When the industry was nationalised in 1947 there were almost 1,000 pits in Britain employing around a million miners. Yesterday's closure by Doncaster-based UK Coal, which blames economics and geological problems, leaves nine deep mines with a workforce of a few thousand.

In 1976, when the coalfield became the first to be developed in 70 years, Tony Benn, then Labour's energy secretary, said it was "restoring King Coal to his throne in this country". Production began in 1983.

The National Union of Mineworkers said the site, which still holds four million tons, could have been saved with government backing.

Michael O'Brien, the energy minister, claimed that coal remained an important part of Britain's energy resource. He said: "This is a very sad day for everyone associated with Selby after 20 years of successful
operation. We could not prevent this closure but this Government supports the coal industry. We believe coal will play an important part in future energy generation and want to see a long-term future for all miners in the UK."

Selby recorded losses of more than £100 million in three years leading up to the closure announcement in 2002, with falling prices a major factor.

Norman Haslam, spokesman for UK Coal, said it could no longer afford to support the mine. "Any coal that is easy to mine has been mined and any coal left is difficult to reach. We simply cannot sell it for what we can mine it for," he said.

He added that everyone at the mine who wanted to stay in the industry had been given jobs at other UK Coal sites and that the remainder had been given training and support to find new careers.

Steve Kemp, general secretary of the NUM, said it was a "disgrace" that the coalfield was being closed. "If there's no change in government policy and no more assistance given, the threat of pit closures is always going to be with us," he said.

Some of the last workers to emerge from Riccall spoke of their sadness. Dave Marchant, 49, who hopes to become a coach driver, said: "I'll miss my mates. Some I've known for 27 years. You spend more time with them than with your family."

PRESS RELEASE
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF HOW MANY ARE INNOCENT - LAY PERSON'S GUIDE TO MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICES INCLUDES SHEFFIELD MAN, MARK BARNSLEY, CONVICTED IN 1995.

Monday, 1st November 2004: Roots Books, a UK publishing house dedicated to documenting the political and social aspects of injustice in Britain is proud to announce the release of local author, L A Naylor's debut book Judge for Yourself. Guest speakers at this special launch event will also include
Michael Mansfield QC, Paddy Joe Hill (one of the men more commonly known as the Birmingham 6) and Mark Barnsley, a local Sheffield man who was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to 12 years. His case is one of thousands with the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Barnsley was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and has been trying to take his case back to court ever since.

On this day the Court of Appeal will also hear an appeal against the conviction of Graham Huckerby, who was convicted of being the inside man in a major Securicor robbery in Salford, Manchester in 1995. The case - by bizarre coincidence - was the first Jill Dando featured during her time on the BBC's Crimewatch programme.

Huckerby and his co-accused, Shay Power, were both sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for their involvement in the biggest theft of cash in transit since the great train robbery of 1963. Graham Huckerby is included in a significant list of alleged miscarriage of justice victims in the book. Strong, fresh psychological evidence has been presented to the Court of Appeal - if Huckerby wins then it will clearly demonstrate how the criminal justice system can sometimes punish the victims of crime, whilst letting the
offender go free.

This well researched layperson's guide to the British legal system's appalling number of miscarriages of justice proves to be a startling revelation. Even more interestingly, it is an exploration of how such
mistakes are allowed to continue and how, despite a blatant lack of evidence against them, many people have been and still are languishing in jail for crimes they did not commit.

'Perhaps the strongest message to emerge is that there is no peace without justice. Anyone interested in Britain, social justice and human resilience should read this book.' Simon Hattenstone, the Guardian.

'What this timely book demonstrates with telling clarity is that the risk of miscarriage has not diminished and that the human cost involved is incalculable.' Michael Mansfield QC

'The public still don't understand just how easy it is to be put in prison for a crime you didn't commit. It could happen to anyone. Anyone interested in truth, law and justice should read this book.' Paddy Joe Hill, Birmingham 6

'A well written polemic that pulls no punches.' Dr. Michael Naughton, Bristol University

For interviews with the author, directions and further information visit: www.writesite.org.uk

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY News Release (P/2004/397) issued by the
Government News Network on 26 October 2004

Coal Health Minister Nigel Griffiths has today welcomed the High Court judgment which will result in faster compensation payments to up to 160,000 miners.

The ruling, by Sir Michael Turner, will see miners in the largest personal injury scheme in the UK offered fast-track payments where initial medical tests show very low levels of lung disease. Their compensation will be paid quickly, freeing up specialist medical consultants to concentrate on assessing miners with higher levels of disability.

"I welcome the Judge¹s ruling. I believe this change to the scheme is essential in order to deliver compensation to miners."

The fast-track payments will be based on the results of miners’ spirometry tests. They will be split into four bands:

* Normal lung function with no evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Miners more seriously affected and those medically unable to complete the test will receive a full medical assessment.

Following the Judge¹s ruling, the department can now begin to calculate the offers for each band.

1. The fast-track scheme will offer miners who have not undergone a full
medical assessment procedure to instead take an offer based on their
spirometry test. They retain the right to reject the offer and undergo a
full medical assessment. The fast-track offer will be based on average
payments during the scheme not including the first and last six months,
rounded to the nearest £100. Miners more seriously affected because their
spirometry test shows at least some lung damage or those medically unable
to complete the test , will receive a full medical assessment.

2. More than £1.2 billion has so far been paid out to 156,000 miners and
their families for respiratory disease. More than £5 billion is expected to
be paid out in total. There are currently some 160,000 claims from miners
and 255,000 claims from widows and their families in the scheme.

3. In 1997 and 1998 British Coal was found negligent in relation to
vibration white finger and respiratory diseases respectively. The
liabilities were subsequently transferred to the DTI under the terms of the
Coal Industry Act 1994. The judges ordered DTI to work with solicitors
representing miners to formulate schemes to handle the payment of
compensation. The detailed schemes were set out in handling agreements
signed in January 1999 and September 1999 respectively.

4. More than 780,000 applications have been received under both the
respiratory disease and vibration white finger schemes. The DTI is paying
out around £2 million every working day in compensation, with payments
having just ! reached £2.2 billion. It is estimated that more than £8
billion will be paid out by the Government to settle all claims. Further
information is available at www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth
<http://www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth> .

Throughout the week preceding the end of September '04, several community groups were contacted by Kaye Elliott, Community Liaison Coordinator of Big Strike Productions. Plans had been made for their group to come to Stainforth on Saturday 2nd October, where over 200 locals turned up to have their photographs taken and to submit their applications to be film extras.

Big Strike Productions are in the village to create a one-off drama, called Faith, for the BBC, which is to be screened sometime in 2005.

Faith will be a single drama about life in a fictional pit village during the strike of '84-'85. It is based on the social tension that was created within mining communities, and focuses on two sisters, one who is married to a miner, and the other to a policeman.

A new Social Security Commissioners ruling means that some
folks may be able to have another shot at applying for Disablement Benefit
for Vibration White Finger, who previously got turned down.

The Background
to this situation is that in order to qualify for Reduced Earnings
Allowance and a weekly payment, you need to be suffering from at least 1% VWF
established by the DSS themselves and not your common law medical report. In addition
and most importantly you have to prove you were suffering from the condition since
prior to 1990.

What happened in the past is, you went along to try and prove you had VWF and the Medical Assessor turned you down, thinks you don't have it. Suppose that happened say one or two years ago. You think a little later you will have another go, you gaan alang for the test and lo and behold, this time he thinks you have got it. The rules have always stated that he couldn't declare a date of onset (how long you have been suffering from the condition) earlier than your previous test. So the MA would declare although you were suffering from it, you only had it since 2003, or 2002, no good to claim the REA which has to have a date of onset prior to 1990.

This new ruling, quoting higglypiggly hocuspokus Latin legal precedents says you cant make that rule about DSS law. Except of course this ruling itself is only confined to the judgements made after the Commissioner made that new ruling.

This means that any decision that you didnt have VWF or that you only had it from a date after 1990 can now be challenged, i.e. you can put in again if that first decision was made after July 1999. OK ? So if you were turned down, or got the wrong date of onset decision after July 1999 have another shot. This time make sure you describe your symptoms correctly and explain how long you now think you've been suffering from it.
A lot of folk have got mixed up with the question 'When did you first become aware of it ?" They have thought this meant aware of the actual condition vibration white finger and not when they first noticed the pain and whiteness in their fingers. This has to be while you were using the tools of course. If you developed the symptoms after using the tools, you must have some other condition and not VWF.

If you have any queries about DSS claims or Common Law Claims, if your a miner or not better consult Dave who kens a wee bittie aboot these things.

In scenes reminiscent of Freddy Matthews funeral in 1972 the little mining town of Annesley in Nottingham was a sea of bodies, here today Friday 27 Aug., to show their respect to their mate, their comrade, their fellow worker. The family was in pieces as well might be expected. One of the most heart wrenching addresses came from Keith’s daughter, her self lucky to be alive after the killer of her father turned against her and her partner. She spoke of the loss of her Dad and pal. Keith Stanley, Notts. Area NUM Gen. Sec spoke as a mate and gave many an amusing anecdote about this larger than life character, which brought a chuckle even from this most sombre of assemblies as people reflected of his nature and his life. His son gave another heart breaking address and Steve Kemp spoke movingly and sincerely on behalf of the NUM nationally. A procession of NUM banners had thronged the streets to the church, and Maltby NUM was prominent from the Yorkshire area, the national NUM banner together with the banners of the Nottingham NUM. The church was full to overflowing and throngs of people, of all ages came to pay their respects all round the grounds and out on surrounding streets, following the service and speeches on relayed loudspeakers. In the grounds many leading lights of the struggle for which ‘Froggy’ had died, Arthur Scargill, Ray Chadburn, Henry Richardson, Billy Pye from Lancashire, Ken Capstick former York's area Vice President and now acting editor of the Miner. Chris Skidmore Yorkshire Area NUM President, Jeff Stubbs Yorkshire Area agent, and many many others too numerous to mention, and anyway lost in the crowd. The coffin was born in a traditional miners funeral of the old days, with two black horses with black plumes, drawing a beautiful glass sided horse drawn hearse. It was a bitterly sad day, that we should loose yet another comrade so long after the end of that dispute, but for identically the same reason as those who died during it. We hope that the next Annual Green/Jones memorial rally and lecture will be retitled Green/Jones/Frogson memorial rally and lecture in tribute to another of our comrades who paid the ultimate price for loyalty to the miners union.

Coals carried to Newcastle
By Paul Stokes
The Daily Telegraph, (Filed: 05/08/2004)

The old saying, "to carry coals to Newcastle", has taken a literal twist after a deal to import thousands of tons of coal to the Port of Tyne from Russia.
It was coined as an expression for a superfluous act or taking something to where it was already plentiful and was first recorded in 1538. That meaning could soon be as redundant as all but one of the pits in the
once coal-rich north-east of England.

The Port of Tyne, which used to export 23 million tons a year from the Durham and Northumberland coalfields, has just received its first two consignments from Russia. It is expected to import 70,000 tons by December in an experimental deal with the Alcan aluminium smelting plant in Northumberland.

Keith Wilson, the port's managing director, said it had not exported coal since 1998. "The Tyne was the largest exporter of coal. We do not export coal now and it is ironic that we are starting to import it."

The development has been condemned by the mineworkers' union. Dave Hopper, the north-east secretary of the NUM, said: "The Alcan smelter came to the North East almost 40 years ago to benefit from cheap coal and was built next to Lynemouth colliery to cut transport costs.
"The coal sold to Alcan for nearly 30 years was so cheap that details of the deal with the National Coal Board were shrouded in secrecy.
"Ellington, the last colliery in the North East, is only two miles away and is struggling to stay open."

Alcan said it had been importing coal for some time but this was the first time it had been delivered through the Port of Tyne. "The company has a contract with Ellington but the colliery has not been
able to produce enough to power the station for around 10 years."

Hatfield miners will be saddened to learn of the death of our aud marra, Eric Fowler.

Eric one a big family of Welsh miners who had emigrated to Hatfield Main will be sadly missed. Anybody who ever had a shift with Eric will know him to be a man possessed of the greatest pit comedy skills we have ever come across. Getting a bla on the way inbye, Eric would start telling the tale, and have the whole shift helpless laughing, tannoys would scream to know where everyone was, as the shift was often late on the bank listening to Eric. His was a sort of relentless humour which just built on image after image, and all absolutely true and based upon his own life and experiences. Nobody has ever written his tales down, nobody has ever recorded them, they will live only in our memories and are impossible to reproduce out of situ of time and place. Eric was also a militant, a man who would stand his corner for rights and against injustice , and in defence of his work mates. . He was classically a pitman, a man who could size up a job and have it planned and be half way through carrying putting it right before the gaffers had understood something was wrong. Eric managed to make it through accidents and near misses and strikes and riots into his mid 80’s no mean feat for a miner of his generation ,used to working in clouds of dense dust and shot firing fumes. We will miss Eric, a great club man who rarely missed a night "taking his medicine" and telling the tale. He had been in bad health with his chest over the last fifteen years or so and his struggle to breath had been getting increasingly difficult We do not have details of his funeral yet, but believe it to be on Wednesday- details will follow. S’lang Eric Lad, we'll be up on the next draw.

Coal comfort
Aug 1 2004

By Matt Mckenzie, Sunday Sun

Union chiefs are convinced that the Government can be persuaded to reopen the pits as the solution to Britain's future energy needs.

The Sunday Sun can reveal that the unthinkable may happen after a top scientist recommended coal as the way forward.

Professor Ian Fells said last week that the UK could secure its energy supply for decades if it could use its huge coal reserves, still lying unmined.

He suggested that Labour should give high priority to developing ways of storing carbon dioxide underground to eliminate environmental damage done by coal.

The Newcastle University professor, chairman of the New and Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland, recommended using a process known as carbon sequestration.

The sequestration process involves trapping carbon dioxide as it is emitted and storing it in huge reservoirs underground or beneath the sea. The method is already used in the US and Norway to access oil.

Prof Fells said: "If we unlocked our coal it would transform the prospects for using fossil fuel, so carbon sequestration is the key to the future."

He said the Government's target to make 10 per cent of Britain's energy renewable by 2010 is wishful thinking.

His thoughts were echoed by energy consultant David White, who argued that fossil fuels would be important for several decades yet. The Government is ultimately aiming to shift 20pc of energy production to renewable sources by 2020.

Now Ian Lavery, president of the National Union Mineworkers, has revealed his ambition to convince Labour to refocus its mind producing electricity from coal.

Speaking to the Sunday Sun from his summer break in Cyprus, he said: "Let's face it, coal has been used as a political football for years.

But I think we will be able to persuade the Government that - using clean technology - we can get at least one mine reopened. That's not from the heart, it's from the head. It's going to mean that the Government is going to have to put money into the energy needs of the nation over the next 30 or so years."

And he warned: "You cannot leave it to the vagaries of the free market. People will be chopping down trees for energy otherwise. We should never forget that the reason the British coal-mining industry closed so rapidly is down to politics, not economics."

If the NUM is able to convince the Department of Trade and Industry to invest, it would be a stunning turnaround for the pits which were systematically closed down by the Tory government.

Mr Lavery, a former miner at Ellington, Northumberland, said: "Tony Blair said two weeks ago that nuclear power might be the only option. But the fact of the matter is that if the Government are looking to provide finances it should be for clean coal technology.

"This would allow power stations to produce electricity cleanly without the sulphur and carbon dioxide being excessive, which is the problem with coal.

"The emissions can be completely reduced in line with Government objectives if they're burned correctly. The technology to burn coal correctly is readily available. And it's far more cost effective than nuclear power stations.

"The NUM is looking in the very near future to get a paper produced by some of the best clean coal experts in the world to show to Government that this is the option we should take. At Ellington alone there are more than 300 million tonnes of unmined coal. The extraction of the coal and the burning of it is far cheaper than using nuclear and gas.>

"Coal should have a rosier and bigger future than any other fuel."

Mr Lavery said the pro-coal comments by Professor Fells were a seachange. He said: "The significant thing is that Professor Ian Fells has been opposed to coal as a primary energy source all his life. But they have realised that coal is the only answer."

A spokeswoman for the DTI said that the Government would soon start consulting on carbon sequestration within the next few months.

She said: "It's an area that we are definitely looking at as a viable option, but it's not the only one. Our commitment to renewable energy sources like wind, wave and tidal remains.

"We believe that the 2020 target is attainable. One of the reasons that people think we are not going to reach it is that a lot of the wind farms haven't been built yet. But they will be by 2006.

She added: "Coal does still contribute a lot to our energy needs."

Even Friends of the Earth did not rule out a return to coal.

Climate campaigner Bryony Worthington said: "Our position is that we should exploit renewables first and in the meantime see if we can bring down the cost on clean coal.

"To burn clean coal you need a whole new generation of power stations. It needs investment, but if we can't constrain our demand for energy than we may have to find alternative ways."

THE DONCASTER OPERA STAR WHO ORIGINATES IN THORNE. THEY WANT AS BACKGROUND, TO FILM OLD COLLIERS AND THEIR WIVES WHO WORKED AT THE PIT OR REMEMBER THE TOWN IN ITS HEYDAY WHEN THE PIT WAS WORKING.

WE WILL BE FILMING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE THIS WEDNESDAY 28 JULY FROM 10 AM AT MOORENDS SOCIAL CLUB, ON MARSHLAND ROAD.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME. THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE TO TELL THE STORY OF THORNE BEFORE IT IS BURIED AND FORGOTTEN.

We regret to hear of the death of comrade Paul Foot, a star of the far left and one of the country's top campaigning journalists. Although we never seen eye to eye politically, Paul was a life long supporter of the Socialist Workers Party- we agreed on much more than we differed over, although the left being left you wouldn't have perhaps guessed that listening to any conversation . Our paths passed many times over the course of our lives, beginning I think in 1972 down at Oxford and during the Miners strike of that year. Paul was a great supporter of the miners in all the great battles of the period from 72 to 92. He had been born in Nov. 8th 1937 and he died July 18th 2004. His funeral is July 27 at Golders Green London. He will be greatly missed by all workers and oppressed folk everywhere who could always rely on his comradeship and support.

Many miners will be in receipt of REA usually as an ancillary to their Disablement Benefit award for Vibration White Finger or an industrial accident. If you apply for these awards before the age of 65, when you get to 65 the REA finishes and becomes ‘retirement allowance' though it is then less than a quarter of the payment. If you don't apply for the benefits until age 65 or older, you get to keep both benefits for the rest of your life. The Miners Advice Centre has just discovered a novel way for men coming up to 65 (or women) to keep the benefit. It means finding a job for ten hours per week. You then qualify to stay on full benefits. Mind getting a job at 65 for ten hours a week could be difficult, either Tesco collecting trolleys, or being an MP are the only two which come to mind. The Hot Meal Component of DLA, which pays you £13 per week because your condition prevents you making yourself a hot meal, ends when you are 65 though. Presumably after 65 the state doesn't want you have a hot meal anyway since you are beyond normal working age.

The grieving daughter of murdered ex-miner Keith Frogson has flown back to Britain for an emotional reunion with her family. Supported by relatives and friends, she wept over flowers laid on the Annesley Woodhouse street where her father died earlier this week.

But relations are still too upset to talk about the 62-year-old former miner affectionately known as "Froggy".

Police believe Mr Frogson, of Bentinck Street, bled to death after being attacked outside his home.

Officers have said a crossbow found in a neighbour's garden may have been used in the attack on Mr Frogson as he walked home from a domino night at his local pub, the Forest Tavern, at around 10.30pm on Monday.

Inspector Barry Harper, local area commander for Ashfield, said officers were still trying to piece together the events leading to Mr Frogson's death.

"People should also be reassured that we have found the crossbow. We assume it was used by the offender.

"We are trying to piece together the last known whereabouts of Mr Frogson and are conducting a thorough search of his house."

Insp Harper said the public's response had been "very positive" and also praised the level of community spirit.

More than a dozen bunches of flowers were laid near Mr Frogson's home in Bentinck Street yesterday afternoon.

Someone also left a black cap - commemorating the 1984 miners' strike during which Mr Frogson lost his job - hanging on the road sign.

Mr Frogson was described by friends as a "loveable rogue" who was often seen drinking in pubs around Annesley Woodhouse.

After leaving the Forest Tavern on Monday night, he became embroiled in a blazing row outside his home. At 11pm, he was found dead with several cuts to his face and body.

A neighbour told police they heard arguing at around 11pm, and saw a car tearing away from the scene.

A post-mortem examination revealed more than one sharp instrument had been used in the assault.

"We are very much in the early days of trying to piece together his character, his whereabouts, and everything else," Insp Harper added. "The community have been very helpful and I'm very grateful to them for that."

We are pleased to announce that the ongoing strike by the Utah miners in the USA is now over and the miners have won. The strike has been actively followed and supported by the NUM Yorkshire Area with two sets of large donations being sent over. The strike was conducted by the United Mineworkers Of America and lasted a bitter nine months. The men had all been illegally dismissed and now have been ordered by the National Labour Relations Board to reinstate all the men to their jobs.

Despite the minute size of the NUM these days (3000 members nationwide)
this has been an important and interesting conference.

In the course of the conference it was recorded that the Kellingly NUM Branch had won hands down its struggle against UK Coal, the employers, who tried to force so called 'flexible working' on the workforce. The men had been threatened with the sack if they didnt sign up to the new hours of work (compulsory 12 hour shifts). The men responded magnificently with two massive 'yes' votes in individual secret ballots, and rolling strike days which stopped the colliery dead. Sadly the down side to the victory is that the men transferring from Stillingfleet Colliery in Selby, after the rape and plunder and murder of their own pit by the company, have been force to sign up to the new hours. Worse than the 12 hour shifts if that's possible, is the fact that they are on regular night shift. The men were given the option, sign on these new shifts, or sign on the scrap heap.

Knowing the Kellingly branch and the workforce at large, one can expect that the Stillingfleet men will soon find their feet and soon be lobbying for integration onto the normal shift cycle. If they will not concede this , then the men should simply act the goat, go to work , but don't work. After all who can seriously do the heavy and dangerous underground work in a mine, after 12 hours of continuous work, and then on subsequent shifts carry the accumulated tiredness and loss of concentration ? Whose fault will it be if for 12 hour shifts they get four hours work ? Amazing isn't it, that the 1909 Hours of labour Act limited the maximum scheduled shift length in a mine to 8 hours. Mr Major abolished it.
Progress ?

From Hatfield's point of view the conference had high spots , like being able to confront Timms the Government Energy Minister, before the whole conference, and put it to him that the fate of Hatfield Colliery and Hatfield/Thorne reserves should not lay in the fate of one man's hands, Mr Budge. That the Government if it is to be taken seriously at all, must take some steps to ensure the development of coal reserves. He would give no commitment to wider points but said he was confident the Hatfield project , including the reopening of the colliery, would go ahead. However, as far as a coal industry in Britain was concerned he said this would depend solely of commercial considerations. In other words if the coal owners cant make enough money out of it, the last of Britons mines will close, and 100 years and more of coal reserves, thousands of millions of tonnes nationwide will be written off. Elsewhere, Timms agreed with the National Chairman, that the appeals of the victimised men
who had been too late to appeal would be looked at again, so our sacked men, who appealed too late last time, ought to contact me at once.

The Yorkshire Area resolution, calling for a review of our membership of the IEMO, (Internation Energy and Miners Organisation) an organisation purportedly comprised of millions of miners world wide and set up by A Scargill, had been tabled from Rossington. The resolution simply enough referred to the run down of the British collieries, our current strength and the costs of the financial organisation which seemed not to do anything very much. Dave Douglass from Hatfield went further and suggested the bulk of the worlds miners were not in the organisation,miners like the South African's, the Australians, the Germans, the American's etc even the ones who were members, including ourselves, had little or no say over it whatsoever. In the last two years we had paid something like £250,000 to the organisation, which included an Executive trip to India, which cost in excess of £60,000. This was an organisation set up by and for leaders, it wasn't about us. We needed an international miners organisation run by the rank and file, this wasn't it. The criticisms drew furious responses from the platform, including total misrepresentation of the reasons for our opposition. It was suggested our objectives were totally mercenary, a charge which given the expenditure to stay in it was turning truth on its head. It wasn't that we didnt want to support our comrades abroad, far from it, but that this organisation didnt do that, indeed some would say was never intended to be about ordinary miners. It has likewise been described as a Saga holiday club for NUM officials, jaunting off around the world to chew the cud in far off exotic locations. When it came to the conference for discussion NOBODY seconded the Yorkshire resolution. Not a single other area, thought the issue serious enough to even warrant debate or investigation. So it fell flat , leaving Dave's impassioned speech as flat as a damp pancake. One can only conclude that delegations from all those other areas are hopeful of joining the Travel Club and seeing far off distant lands paid for by the Union. One wonders what their members think of their actions ?

The conference was otherwise good nature'd and very detailed. The financial report reported a health surplus, and a hefty nest egg in the bank. The NUM official web site threatens to print the highlights of the conference and if they do, we will add them to this section, so readers can see for themselves the business of conference.

Another of Arthur's gems was making the conference biannual rather than annual
so it'll be 2006 when the union meets in conference again- whose guessing how many members we have in two years time and how many pits ?

Comrade Ian Ferguson former Chairman of the Doncaster NUM Panel and NUM Branch Secretary at Yorkshire Main Colliery (Edlington ) has died 30 May.

Ian was a dear friend and comrade of Hatfield Main Branch and was known to all of our members. We have no details of his death or the funeral but extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Ian was a most likeable of men, a Scot and a leftist who took great joy in Class War especially its 84 strike editions. He also dearly loved Hatfield’s Hot Gossip which he subscribed to. It inspired him to start up the LINK a more glossy version of the piss taking , politicising militant Hatfield version. It will be best remembered for its cartoons, which were classic pit humour in pen drawings.

Yorkshire Main was the first Doncaster victim of the new regime following the end of the strike in March 85. The men refused to accept new contracts and relations went into steep decline resulting in the spiteful closure of the Colliery, for no other reason than punishment. Volumes of coal still lie below Edlington, which is now a ghost town hit by bad areas of deprivation, unemployment and anti social crime .The Doncaster Option Scheme was imposed on most of the Doncaster coalfield on the strength of the premature closure of Yorkshire Main and the threat to do likewise at any other pit in Doncaster which wouldn't accept the scheme.

Ian went on to join the TGWU after the closure of the pit where we believe he Rapidly became an official.

Morrisons have just announced their intention of de-recognising the TGWU the union at all its firms and distribution centres. This it has done because the union refused to accept unilateral imposition of new terms upon the workforce, including a no strike rule . This is modern management all right rather reminiscent of UK Coal at Kellingly Colliery. Trade Unionists and people who believe simply in common justice would be rather amiss to find any reasons to shop at Morrison’s under these circumstances.

Palo Alto, Calif., May 28, 2004 -- Advanced materials now being evaluated by a consortium team under the technical direction of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and others will allow higher temperature operation of power plants, making coal-based electricity generation more efficient and much cleaner. Critical boiler components in existing older plants can be retrofitted with these advanced materials to allow for the continued use of the types of coal that are locally available.

"Efficiency gains by as much as nine percentage points and CO2 reductions approaching 22 per cent are expected through the advanced materials technology being developed in this collaborative program," said EPRI's Vis Viswanathan, overall technical manager for the project. "This will enable coal-based electricity generation to continue at competitive rates, while substantially reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and fuel-related pollutants."

Now in its third year, the five-year program is funded by DOE through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), co-funded by the Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO), and managed by Bob Purgert of Energy Industries of Ohio. Consortium members are Alstom Power, Riley Power, Babcock and Wilcox, and Foster Wheeler, as well as DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The increase in generating efficiency will be achieved principally through the use of newly developed materials for piping, tubing, and waterwall panels that perform well under extremely high-temperature (ultrasupercritical) steam conditions. According to Udaya Rao, Project Manager at NETL, today's state-of-the-art supercritical plants operate at throttle steam conditions of approximately 1000 degrees F-1100 degrees F at pressures around 3600psi. In contrast, the materials technology being developed envisages plant steam conditions approaching 1400 degrees F at 5000psi pressure.

"The efficiency advantages associated with higher-temperature operation will allow the U.S. and other countries to continue using indigenous fuel supplies - including high-sulfur coals," says NETL's technology manager for Power Systems Advanced Research, Bob Romanosky. In the short term, these materials can also be used in existing older plants for selective retrofit of critical components, thus maximizing plant reliability and availability.

In the first two years of the program, the team has completed preliminary studies for two alternative ultrasupercritical boiler designs. Areas exposed to different temperatures and pressures have been mapped, and piping and tubing dimensions have been delineated. Candidate materials have been identified, and corrosion studies have been conducted. Welding, fabrication, and coating trials are also in progress.

"The Ohio Coal Development Office is particularly interested in conducting studies using our high sulfur coal more cleanly," says Howard Johnson of OCDO.

Even if construction of an ultrasupercritical plant costs 12 to 15 per cent more than a comparable-scale facility utilizing conventional boiler and steam cycle designs, the additional expense is more than offset by fuel savings and reduction in balance-of-plant costs. Investigators have concluded that the capital cost of the boiler and steam turbine in an advanced supercritical plant can be 40 to 50 per cent higher than conventional components, and the ultrasupercritical plant will still be cost-competitive. >

"Over the last decade, progress in developing high strength materials for high temperature applications has been phenomenal," says Viswanathan. "We lost the lead to Japan and Europe, but this exciting project gives us the opportunity to become leaders in this key technology once again." A great deal of information relating to this will be brought forward during the upcoming EPRI/DOE/OCDO/ASM conference, "Advances in Materials Technology for Fossil Power Plants," to be held at Hilton Head Island, SC in October 2004. For more information, visit www.epri.com or http://Inter.Viewcentral.com/reg/EPRI/2036.

EPRI, (www.epri.com) headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., was established in 1973 as an independent, non-profit center for public interest energy and environmental research. EPRI's collaborative science and technology development program now spans nearly every area of power generation, delivery and use. More than 1,000 energy organizations and public institutions in 40 countries draw on EPRI's global network of technical and business expertise.

MORE CONFUSION OVER HATFIELD.

AFTER EVERYTHING WHICH HAS BEEN SAID AND WRITTEN ABOUT THORNE COLLIERY AND ITS RESERVES AND THE LINK TO HATFIELD’S PROSPECTS, IN THE MIDDLE OF DELICATE EFFORTS TO GET THE CASH TOGETHER TO RESTART MINING AT HATFIELD, THEY TAKE THE DECISION TO WRECK THORNE. UK COAL WHICH IS TRYING TO GET OUT OF MINING SO QUICKLY IT IS SHUTTING ITS OWN PITS REGARDLESS OF RESERVES AND PROFITABILITY, GAVE THE THORNE SITE BACK TO THE COAL AUTHORITY. THE COAL AUTHORITY IN A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION THAT THEY INTEND TO END ALL MINING IN BRITAIN WITHIN THE DECADE HAVE NOW GONE AHEAD WITH PLANS TO FILL THE SHAFTS AND DESTROY THE HEADGEAR. THIS IS THE GATE WAY TO 100 SQUARE MILES OF PROVEN RICH COAL RESERVES, IN THE WEEK THAT ENERGY HITS THE PANIC BUTTON AGAIN, WITH THE END OF OIL RESERVES IN SIGHT. DO THEY KNOW YOU CAN EASILY MANUFACTURE MOTOR OIL, AND PETROL FROM COAL ? A SENIOR COLLEAGUE OF TIMMS THE ENERGY MINISTER DESCRIBED HIM YESTERDAY AS "ABOUT AS MUCH GOOD AS A CHOCOLATE FIREGUARD". A DESCRIPTION WHICH MORE THAN SUITES HIM. WE OURSELVES HAVE FOUND HIM TO LIE VERY CONVINCINGLY AS HE DID WHEN HE ASSURED THE HATFIELD MINERS THE PUMPS AND FANS WOULD NOT BE TURNED OFF, ONLY TO DO JUST THAT LESS THAN A WEEK LATER. THE FUTURE OF HATFIELD THEY SAY IS NOT DIRECTLY TIED TO THE EXISTENCE OF THESE THORNE SHAFTS. THAT IS TRUE THEORETICALLY, ACTUALLY IN PRACTICAL TERMS IT MAKES THINGS A MILLION TIMES MORE DIFFICULT AND DEMONSTRATES CLEARLY THAT BRITISH COAL MINING IN THE VIEW OF THIS GOVERNMENT IS FINISHED IN ITS ENTIRETY. BLAIR "THE SON OF THATCHER" ? TOO TRUE.

The sun blazed down, Hatfield Band was in fine fettle, and the Hatfield Main banner flew magnificently through the streets of Barnsley. Two busses were provided for the Hatfield contingent, and in the event, although nobody turned out from Moorends or Thorne there was a sizeable contingent to march with the Hatfield Branch. A number of other bands were also marching with a good turn out of banners and supporters. Although Barnsley itself seemed strangely silent and subdued, the fields of Locke Park abounded with kids out with their families and sampling all the rides and amusements. The speakers tent was packed and overflowed outside in all directions. Star of the speakers was Mark Thomas a comedian with a cutting political wit who left nobody in any doubt as to what he thinks of New Labour and despite earlier pleas from the platform to the contrary Mark told us he would not be voting for that lot. This drew massive support from the crowd and at the end of his speech he received a standing ovation. Bickerstaff was as usual comical and topical and Tony Benn is everyone's favourite uncle. Ian Lavery the National Chair of the NUM laid into the tactics and attitude of UK coal in their new impositions and harsh management style, he roundly condemned their indifference and mismanagement in thunderous tones.

Although the newly elected Vice Chair of the Yorkshire Area Mr Kitchen, in his brand new suite, shirt and tie for the occasion was introduced to the crowd, there was no mention of the new Area Chairman, who apart from not chairing the meeting, wasn't even on the platform although he stood in the wings. Many thought this odd.

These occasions are wonderful for meeting old friends and comrades and this was no exception. Davie Guy the president of the Durham Area, who sent a banner. Peter Heathfield, still bright as a button but looking very frail. The comrades from Class War who came up with a banner from London. Loads of different people from the movement and the struggle.

That evening, at the Fox against a backdrop of the Hatfield Main banner a most excellent programme of miners music, song and a play by an old lad who didnt start writing until he was 58, Roy Blackman was provided. The play was performed by Rotherham Red Choir and was watched with rapped attention by the crowd who crammed into the Fox Concert room. Toein the Dark, our frequent guests over the last 20 years and more went down a storm and a number of floor singers got up and give it some welly, including Dave Humphries the former COSA president at the pit.

It was a sensational day all in all . Many thanks go to the performers who sang and entertained us for nowt, and Tony Clegg the landlord who not only marched with the banner, listened to the speeches but provided us with the room for free, and to his wife who provided a fine big buffet likewise free of charge.

France says au revoir to coal
After three centuries, French miners dig last lump of coal:
Full Story from source

FRANCE closed its last coal mine yesterday, marking the end of a trade that lasted for nearly three centuries and underpinned the Industrial Revolution.

One last, symbolic lump of coal was extracted from La Houve mine during a ceremony last night that launched three days of events commemorating an industry that once employed 300,000 people.

Thus it would seem any hope of the pit being bought and brought back into production is gone. A damn sorry state of affairs. Half of all Britain's known coal reserves already accessed from Hatfield / Thorne will now undoubtedly be written of and abandoned.

If you arnt going to mine this coal , lets face it, this spells the end to any medium term never mind long term future for the coal industry overall. UK coal are waiting with baited breath to destroy the head gear and fill the shafts at Thorne, and we presume this will move ahead rapidly now. The fate of Hatfield's headgear rests with any bidders who buy the land the pit stands in. Overall where will this lead Britain's energy supply ? It will leave only two sources, an expansion of nuclear energy, or increasing reliance on gas pumped overland from the former USSR and the middle-east. An island built on coal, with reserves of at least 250 years reliant on far off distant lands for its energy. Well done Tony, you’ve made the place as secure in energy terms as you just did in security terms. People can write to Tony Blair and the DTI and The Coal Authority and demand the development of Hatfield Colliery coal reserves gets government investment while a buyer is sought, rather than IF a buyer comes forward first, but frankly we don't think they actually want any British coal industry at all, they want to see the miners dead and buried as a social and political force.

Don't get excited its not the pit, its for Yorkshire Water!!
Earthtech Morrison is engaged in the contract to make a submersible pumping station on the former ambulance site.
When we have news available on Thorne we'll post it on here!

For an update on the above. All the latest battles within and without the
Union. The Employment Dept will be present to report on claims against the
former owners (who we expect might be the new owners too ! strange world
isn't it ?) At the Employment Tribunal .

UK Coal the owners of Kellingly have confronted the workforce with a demand that
they tear up current contracts of employment and comply with compulsory 12 hour shifts and weekend working. Laughingly they call this 'flexible working'. The change goes along with a plan for six days per week, 24 hours per day coal cutting. The NUM Branch responded with a ballot for industrial action which achieved 89% in favour of an overtime ban. Not having got anywhere with this they achieved an 87% vote in favour of 24 hour strike actions.
This resulted in what the branch hoped was serious negotiations. Instead the owners have continued with the imposition of their demand. The branch then sought an injunction to stop the owners imposing the shifts. UK Coal have responded by saying if they are met with such an injunction under the current contract, they will serve a 90 day notice and then sack every man at the pit ! They will then rehire those workers who sign on for new contracts, 12 hour shifts, six day 24 hour cutting. This is what passes in Blair's Britain as 'democracy' and industrial relations law. The branch is to respond with a fresh wave of strike actions, there being so sign of weakening on the part of the men. Meantime men at Selby due to transfer to Kellingly are being led to believe its the Union at fault that they will have no work, since the men there will not accept the new shifts 'to accommodate them'. Actually its the owners who are closing the Selby complex when there is coal for another 50 years on that site. The owners who could open a new development and second face at Kellingly to accommodate the Selby men and act as an insurance against possible geological or mechanical problems on the one existing face. That is the unions view and one would have thought a miners view.
We wish every success to our comrades at Kellingly.

DAVE IS AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE MON., TUES. AND WED TO HANDLE LAST MINUTE CLAIMS 01302 841 365
OR NOW ON 0773 640 8880

JIXI - They all knew the work was dangerous. In the mud-brick village encircling the Baixing coal mine, so many lives had ended already with an explosion deep in a hole that it seemed part of the regular flow of time. When officials inspected the mine in early February, they condemned it as a graveyard in waiting and ordered it closed.

But the work went on, in violation of the rules and in accord with the economic realities of this grim corner of northeastern China, where a job in a coal mine is about the only job there is. Weeks later, after the miners went off as usual with shovels slung over shoulders and headlamps flickering off the snow, methane gas ignited in the shaft and killed another 37.

"He had to go to the mine," said Li Guixiang, whose husband, Xi Chuancai, was among the dead. Five months earlier, Xi's older brother died in an explosion at a nearby mine. Another brother lost both legs when a shaft caved in four years ago. Li's neighbor, Liang Shouhua, sat beside her, mourning the loss of her own husband, the third of three brothers to die in a mining explosion.

"If they didn't do this job, they wouldn't have any money for living," Li said. "You have to eat."

Miners occupy the treacherous underside of China's economic ascent. As factories on the bustling coast churn out goods for the world, and as urbanites move into high-rise apartments and buy new cars, miners are bearing the often deadly burden of extracting the resources needed to keep the lights on and the machinery turning. By the government's own reckoning, more than 6,700 miners died in accidents last year, about 18 per day -- and experts say the real figure is probably twice that. The fatality rates in China's mines are as much as 350 times those in the United States and Britain, according to government reports.

Despite efforts to improve safety in recent years, the balance is tipping toward increased production and greater risk, say miners, government officials and industry executives. China is struggling to find enough energy. Coal makes up 70 percent of the fuel for electric generators. China's coal production exceeded 1.7 billion tons last year, a leap of more than one-fifth from the previous year, yet the increase still not kept pace with demand: Coal prices have nearly doubled over the past year.

"Local governments, because of their own interest and profit motives, secretly tolerate these dangerous coal mines," said Zhai Guangming, a top official at China National Petroleum Corp., who recently briefed Premier Wen Jiabao on the country's energy situation. "Now, it's more severe because of the shortages. There is even more incentive to tolerate danger because the price has gone up."

In recent years, the central government has pushed local authorities to improve mine safety and more than 15,000 mines have been closed, according to the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety. Beijing has imposed strict targets for improvement on provincial authorities, allocating acceptable numbers of fatalities per ton of coal mined and punishing local officials when quotas are exceeded, according to an industry source with knowledge of this policy.

"The pressure from the central government to the provincial government is really tough now," a former official in the Ministry of Coal Industry said. "If there's an explosion in your territory, you can be kicked out now."

Even in the best of circumstances, the safety campaign would be difficult. Coal mining employs 6 million in a nation with 150 million unemployed. The need for jobs and local tax revenue, combined with the willingness of many officials to take bribes, has kept thousands of mines open after inspections found them to be dangerous -- lacking in ventilation gear needed to suck out dangerous gases and the equipment that detects them. Pressure to limit reported accidents has led to cover-ups, undermining the credibility of official statistics.

"Mines are closed, but then they spring up again," said Mark Dougan, China representative for Barlow Jonker Pty. Ltd., an Australian based energy consultancy. "It's greed. Dig coal, make money."

In the Jixi area, 42 officials have been punished over the last three years following accidents at mines under their supervision, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Last May, the vice chief of the city's Hengshan district was sacked after an investigation found that he had been protecting 48 unlicensed and unsafe coal mines while collecting about $2,500 in bribes.

Coal mining is inherently dangerous. Methane gas is often present and can build to explosive concentrations. Unlike gold and other minerals, coal is a soft material -- carve a tunnel through it and it will eventually cave in.

In many places, the situation has worsened with China's ongoing transition from Communism to a market-based economic system. Large state-owned mines are going bankrupt, selling off their holdings to private hands -- often, local officials or people with connections to them. Thousands of new unlicensed private operations have come to life, and now supply about a third of China's coal.

The state mines have traditionally lost money while fulfilling a social compact, handing out wages, housing subsidies and medical insurance. Miners and industry executives say the state operations have historically been more likely to follow codes. The private operations often skimp on safety equipment to cut costs. According to the United States Mine Rescue Association, which maintains a database of accidents worldwide, the fatality rate in small, private mines or those owned by township and village governments in China was more than 10 times higher than that of major state-owned operations in 2002.

Jixi, an industrial enclave in Heilongjiang province, is a living testament to the changes that have remade China's coal industry. This part of China is where Chairman Mao Tse-tung concentrated steelworks, refineries and factories in a bid to make the country a modern power. Today, it is a Rust Belt. On the broken sidewalks of Jixi city, where garbage piles up next to discarded machinery atop soot-stained snowbanks, people in tattered clothes stand in minus 20-degree cold, hoping for work.

A decade ago, state-owned companies operated more than a dozen large-scale mines here. Nine of those state operations remain, all now owned by the city, but more than 300 private mines have sprung to life. They have been the scenes of the worst accidents. In January, 16 miners died in an explosion here. Two years ago, more than 100 miners were killed.

Baixing was one of the mines spun off by the city into private hands. Most of the miners there lost jobs when state-owned operations failed, and many remain bitter. They claim the managers applied to the central government for millions of dollars worth of compensation that was supposed to go to laid-off miners, but pocketed most of the funds themselves.

One such miner, who gave his name as Zhang, said he was laid off from the No. 7 mine in the city's Lishu district in 1999. The central government sent in about $10,000 per miner as compensation, but he only received about $1,000.

Baixing offered another paycheck to about 170 miners, with wages based on how much they produced. Most earned about $125 per month -- decent money by local standards. But the wages came with special risks: Baixing had a primitive ventilation system.

"Everybody knew the mine had too much gas," said Liang, one of the widows. "They had people detecting gas with handheld machines, but they always had too much, and they always kept working."

Even more than most mines, Baixing had special incentives to keep operating. It produces a "hard coking coal," which is key to steel production and has nearly doubled in price in a year.

On Feb. 6, a team of inspectors from the city's Coal Production Supervising Department visited Baixing, according to state media reports. They found nine separate violations of the safety code, ordered immediate closure and fined the owner of the mine, Wang Shijun, about $2,500. Reports carried by the official New China News Agency have since claimed that the mine did indeed shut down for three days following the order, though Wang later reopened it.

"The city inspected it, and blocked the entrance," said Sun Qinglong, a supervisor at the Jixi Coal Safety Supervising Group. "But still he went in in the middle of the night and ignored the order."

Miners at Baixing and people who live near it said the mine never closed. "My husband started work on Feb. 1 and until the accident," more than three weeks later, "he only had one day off," Liang said.

"There wasn't one day the mine was locked," said a barber who gave his name as Du, whose shop sits across the street from the mine entrance. His 34-year-old son-in-law, Dong Zhengxing, died in the accident, leaving behind a wife and 11-year-old daughter.

The barber recalled a day about a week before the accident when he noticed several miners hiding behind his shop. They told him the vice mayor was on his way for an inspection. The mine owner planned to pretend the mine was closed. The workers had been sent away as part of the ruse, returning as soon as the inspection ended.

On Feb. 23, in the pre-dawn hours, 35 men and two women worked the night shift more than 1,000 feet down in the hole. No one knows what happened, because no one who was there survived. The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety claims a miner was trying to fix his headlamp when he caused a spark that triggered the explosion.

The aftermath brought the sort of crackdown that is common in China when the government seeks to demonstrate its resolve. Wang was promptly arrested and lodged at the Jixi police station. Hundreds of small mines were swiftly shut down. The families of the dead were handed compensation of about $5,000 each, plus about $750 for a funeral if they agreed to a quick cremation.

Pictures torn from magazines hung above the bare concrete platform that serves as Li's bed like portals to another world -- images of living rooms with French doors, velvet covered couches, cantilevered chairs. Her wedding picture hung on the wall. Li wore a white gown and her husband a tuxedo, the clothes rented from the photo studio in the city.

Liang sat with a ball of red wool at her feet, knitting a pair of trousers. When she began, they were for her husband. Now, she would give them to her 16-year-old son.

Up the muddy lane, the Baixing mine finally sat lifeless, rusted rail cars tipped on their sides. A plywood barrier covered the entrance to the tunnel, beneath a sign that said "Produce Safely."

"It's closed now," Liang said, her tears welling up. "But two hundred percent, it will open again."

GRAND WORDS , SAD AND HAPPY MEMORIES AT THE DAVY JONES, JOE GREEN MEMORIAL LECTURE. SATURDAY
20 March, Miners Offices, Barnsley.

David Douglass laid a wreath on behalf of the Hatfield miners at the monument to the miners who have died over the years supporting the miners unions. This would include Freddie Matthews of course, the young Hatfield picket killed in 72, picketing at Keedby, as well as all those others in strikes in the century before that one, shot down, or clubbed to death by the states armed forces defending coal bosses. Women Against Pit Closures had their wreath laid by Anne Scargill, and Davy Jones's father also laid a wreath. The national chairman and the national secretary also laid wreaths on behalf of the NUM Nationally and at Area level. A number of other flowers and wreaths were also laid by organisations and individuals.

The guest lecturer was Dennis Skinner in fine fettle, though I couldn't help thinking he had read this weeks Weekly Worker and borrowed certain points ! Some of which were almost word for word. Not that he needs to read the Weekly Worker for content, the bulk of his speech was clearly Dennis's own unique reading of things. Brenda Proctor President of Women Against Pit Closures and Ian Lavery Chairman of the NUM made excellent contributions. The rally was chaired by Steve Kemp the National Secretary and the miners hall, was packed to capacity.

The following social heard Banner Theatre and then later Mark Jones, Davie,s Dad make a heart wrenching speech about the strike and the irreplaceable contribution made by his lad.

Tickets for the Yorkshire Miners 20 th anniversary Gala bus, from Moorends, Thorne Stainforth and Hatfield, (1st May ) are going fast, if anyone wants a free ticket please contact Dave 01302 841 365

The following appeared in a national newspaper, we therefore regret the use of the word 'union' when describing the UDM. The paper is also wrong in saying that other mining unions request "donations" from compensation, at least in the case of the Yorkshire Area this suggests such payments are voluntary when of course they are not, a fixed percentage is charged 3% up to a maximum of £750 plus back subs which can amount to a further 10%. Many branches and branch representatives have agrued over the years against this charge, but at present it remains a rule in operation with no sign of being changed.

Kevin Maguire
Monday March 1, 2004
The Guardian

The leaders of the strike-breaking Union of Democratic Mineworkers, which represents just 1,431 members, were criticised last night after it emerged that they receive pay and benefits of more than £150,000 each.

Neil Greatrex and Michael Stevens, the Nottinghamshire-based union's two most senior figures, were branded "fat cats" over their huge remuneration deals in an organisation which has dwindled almost out
of existence.

A doubling of the pair's basic salaries in four years catapulted them to the top of the UK union pay league with only Gordon Taylor, leader of the Professional Footballers' Association, on a bigger package.

The basic £100,250 earnings of Mr Greatrex, UDM president and general secretary, and £91,313 of Mr Stevens, vice-president, are well above the £73,834 paid to Dave Prentis for running Unison, Britain's biggest union with 1.3 million members.

The pair also receive payments into a pension fund equivalent to a third of their salaries plus money towards mortgages, fuel, phones, council tax and water bills for their homes, as well as cars.

In 2002, the latest available figures, Mr Greatrex, who lives in Kirkby in Ashfield, Notts, received £17,869 in benefits and Mr Stevens, who lives in nearby Edwinstowe, £19,702. National insurance
contributions, which must be included in accounts, pushed the cost of the annual packages of the pair beyond £150,000 each.

The UDM was formed by Nottinghamshire colliers who worked during the year-long 1984-85 pit strike and opposed NUM president Arthur Scargill. The strike erupted 20 years ago this week.

The big jump in earnings of the two UDM chiefs dates from 1998 when the UDM created Vendside, a no win, no fee health claims subsidiary. Vendside was recently criticised by the Department of Trade and
Industry over its marketing techniques, while MPs have voiced objections to fees levied by the union on ill and injured miners.

Under a deal with the government, the DTI pays the UDM up to £1,550 plus VAT to cover the cost of every application made under a £2bn compensation scheme for two common miners' ailments, chest diseases and vibration white finger. Vendside, according to documents seen by the Guardian, is also charging non-members as much as £587 from compensation packages.

Mr Greatrex and Mr Stevens are directors of Vendside, wholly owned by the UDM, and the company paid £500,000 to the union over a three-year period in office rent and administration.

The certification officer, Whitehall's union watchdog, has launched a preliminary investigation into the UDM's operation of Vendside following a formal complaint from the industry spokesman of Plaid
Cymru. Adam Price, the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, attacked Mr Greatrex and Mr Stevens as "fat cats" and said by paying most of the salaries through the Notts UDM section rather than the national UDM, the huge figures never appeared in the certification officer's annual report. Mr Price added: "The Nottingham section's accounts reveal the extent to which the UDM is bankrolled by Vendside. The UDM has profited from the suffering of former miners and their families."

Graham Allen, the Nottingham North MP and a former Labour minister who has complained in parliament about Vendside's charges, said: "The UDM's defence is legally watertight but the ethics are questionable. This needs to be thoroughly investigated."

Vendside is based in the UDM's Mansfield headquarters but its website does not mention the union by name. Instead it boasts of having recovered more than £215m for more than 33,000 claimants since 1998. A parliamentary answer obtained by Mr Price showed the average payment won by Vendside under the chest disease scheme was £5,213, more than £1,500 less than the average £6,810 obtained by solicitors in England.

The UDM leaders declined to speak to the Guardian, but the union recently issued a statement accusing critics of targeting it ahead of this week's 20th anniversary of the start of the momentous strike.

The union argued it had settled the highest compensation claim, £394,000 for chronic bronchitis-emphysema, and charges imposed on non-members were a backdated membership fee.

"These accusations appear to be generated from old-style mining unions and are politically driven by certain people who still harbour hatred against the UDM due to how the union was formed in 1985," the
statement said. "We must remind you that the 20th anniversary of the miners' strike is in March. Much bitterness still exists and much jealousy is generated because the UDM has been successful and still
exists."

Other mining unions refer claimants directly to solicitors, though parts of the National Union of Mineworkers seek a "donation" from successful chest and finger scheme claimants to fund work in former coalfields.

The minister responsible for coal health claims, Nigel Griffiths, has criticised claims firms and solicitors charging pitmen on top of DTI fees. "We believe that 100% of the compensation we pay must go to the
claimant without anyone else taking a slice of it," he said last year. "I deplore any attempt to charge sick miners or their widows and families for legal expenses which are already covered by the DTI."

A man despite our disagreements , one couldn't help but like. His wit was cutting, as was his intellect. He was a star of conference with often more in common with a top line comedian than a coal mining trade unionist. Conference would frequently be left in stitches at his dry sarcasm, and po faced delivery of devastatingly funny commentary. Arthur and the NEC were the frequent butt of his humour, which wasn't always appreciated by them, but went down a storm on both militant and moderate wings of the union.I myself was often the centre of his satire and few conference went by without my coming in for some verbal swipe.

Howard was a moderate himself and a hard critic of the strike and its progress. His constant call for a ballot, and condemnation of militant picketing often took him into harsh conflict with me and others on the left, although Howard stayed out to the last day and never wavered in his determination to hold the line, despite his misgivings. Despite that, and especially after the end of the strike, Howard’s true magic shone through. At times especially over health and safety matters he could be as militant and determined as the next. But it was his stance against all things iconoclastic and holy within the union that was his forte. All structures and leaders were worthy of having the P’ taken out of them, something he did with pernash.

Howard who also ran the pit shop, doubled as a salesman, always on call to flog you a pile of towels or something newly on offer from the shop. At such times he lapsed into Jewish banter and humour, although whether he really was Jewish I never really found out. Certainly his wit and intelligence would suggest he had picked up more than a little of their blood somewhere along the line.

I commend the conference reports, throughout the period of Howard’s term of office to those who knew him.Read them and see something of Howard you might not have been aware of. I have little doubt he is making them rock with laughter up in heaven right now, and since my ears have been burning lately I fear I could be the butt of his jokes once again. I will miss him terribly. My deepest condolences to his family and his work mates and all those in his community he served so faithfully. Ye tell a canny tale Howard lad’ God speed yi.

David Murdock the colourful Scottish left wing former COSA official, who was sacked in a bitter internal row by the NUM disciplinary committee, has won an unfair dismissal appeal. He will now receive three months back money, although it seems he will not be reinstated into his job.

News that he had to pay £7652 to the NUM because he delayed the tribunal by sacking his legal team mid flight, is only partly true, since we believe his former legal team where found to be negligent and it is they who will have to pick up the tab, not Dave.

During the trial Dave had claimed Arthur Scargill had operated a vendetta against him. Dave had previously won a court case against Mr Scargill for unpaid wages, he was paid £61,000 in back money from the NUM.

The case was tied up with the confusion of the status of the Yorkshire Compensation Recovery Unit, which eventually ended up in competition with aspects of the NUM’s own work. A conflict of interest was suggested since Dave an official of the Union had the YCRU a private firm operating out of the COSA back premises.

It is unlikely the judgement will end the bitter internal row, as this is part of a much bigger struggle about political differences in the Union.