Other News
These items appeared on our News Page earlier
Death Of 'Dinger' Bell
It is with great regret that hear of the death of Alan (dinger) Bell
Blair's
Government to rake-off £525m from miner's pension
Campaigners have described the policy which allows the Government
to take £525m of retired miner's pension cash as "apalling".
RJB to re-open
Thorne Colliery?
This week RJB announced plans for three new operations, including Thorne
Colliery
World
Trade Organisation demonstration in Nice
A Large contingent from the NUM took part on the World Trade Organisation
demonstration in Nice . With about 25 miners on the march the NUM was
the biggest of the TUC contingents.
National
Delegate Conference 14 Dec backs call for all out national strike action.
By an overwhelming majority the national conferences held in Barnsley
voted to ballot for all our strike action on RJB sites of all NUM members.
On
the Question of Replacement Candidates for Arthur Scargill
The question should not be who but what ?
Exclusive-
The Miners web site interviews Chris Skidmore
The Miners web site interviews Chris Skidmore on the dispute and discontentment
at Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, one of RJB’s lease and licence
mines.
News Update.
Sport
Paolo Di Canio West Ham United (Italian) midfielder talked about his respect
for Benito Mussolini
Later
thoughts about the item on Arthur being deselected by the Yorkshire Post:-
The prospect of Arthur at long last retiring poses the interesting question
of, "Who do we think should replace him ?
Gas Price
Rise
Domestic gas and electricity bills are set to rise by 25%
The
latest on the Rossington dispute - 03-12-00
A united resolution for all out industrial action has been tabled
Chinese
coal mines - The deadliest in the world
This report, taken from the internet today, is about the latest in the
spate of explosions taking the lives of Chinese miners.
Miners
reunited with old banner - It has pride of place in the Gardeners' Club
BACK HOME - the 1966 colliery banner now has pride of place at the Usworth
and Washington Gardeners' Club
Yorkshire Post deselects Scargill !
Justice
For Mineworkers Campaign Christmas Cards
Christmas cards are available again this year
Twenty-six thousand
retired Welsh miners waiting for compensation
The plight of former miners waiting for compensation for diseases
contracted underground is to be discussed at a meeting in London.
MPs set to
back coal aid cash
Coal producers with a "viable future" will be able to claim
tens of millions of pounds in subsidies under a scheme set to receive
Commons backing.
Miners'
banner to wave again
A Millennium project to bring the Chopwell Miners' Lodge banner back to
the village was such a success it is hoped to repeat it.
Blast
at Chinese coal mine killed 11 miners and injured 23 others.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Rescuers at a coal mine in Inner Mongolia raced against
time
The
Latest on the Rossington dispute 23/11/00
Special Delegate Conference of the NUM called for Friday 24 November
More Purges In
The Socialist Labour Party
Arthur Scargill discusses clause II (4+5) and the consequences for breaking
the rules in a letter to Alan Brooke of the Huddersfield SLP
Peter Elliott
1925 - 2000
Dave Douglass remembers his friend and comrade Pete Elliott, who passed
away recently
European
Commission Clears £110 million Coal Aid
E.C. announces aid package
Wrong
Informatation On Raleys Profit.
We regret to have included a piece of misinformation concerning Raleys
profits and offer our sincerest apologies.
NUM to join anti-capitalist
protests in Niece on 6/7/8 Dec.
If recent protests are anything to go by delegates should bring their
pit helmets.
Hatfield Branch Secretary's remembered.
Thousands
of Chinese coal miners die annually due to lax safety.
Chinese coal mines remain potential deathtraps and thousands of miners
perish every year in preventable accidents
Massive Explosion In Chinese Mine
Death of former Branch Secretary at Hatfield Main
HMI Response to NUM Branch Concerns At Hatfield Colliery
Commemoration
at Scene of Miner's Massacre.
Ludlow, Colorado, (USA)
New
Mexico Miners (USA) Strike Over Contract.
United Mine Workers of America on strike since May 15th.
Australian
Miners Strike Against 10 Hour Day
Miners walk out on 24 hour strike.
Excellent
day at Durham Miners Gala.
The gala continues to go from strength to strength......
Tony Blair snubs
the Miners
Officials of the North East Area express anger.
Naff Advice?
Dave has been making enquiries about men given naff advice from Solicitors
and settling for pathetic amounts.
New use for
pits in pipeline
News story tells of plans for Doncaster's disused collieries.
India Coalminers Strike
India Coalminers began an indefinite strike at the Singareni Collieries
Cash wait takes toll
on miners
Forty six former miners have died so far this year..
Mark Barnsley Injustice
Hatfield Main Branch N.U.M. and the Doncaster Mining Communities Advice
Centre support the struggle for justice for Mark Barnsley.
Pit
Strike Justice.
Miners sacked during the bitter pit strike of the 1980s could be in line
for compensation
And
now for something completely different.
An unlikely tale by Dave Douglass, wanting
twice the rice for half the price!
News Snippets
Other news
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
Main News Views & Updates Page
Other News5 - Jan 2004- Jan 2005
Death Of 'Dinger' Bell
It is with great regret that hear of the death of Alan (dinger) Bell,
the former Branch Treasurer of Markham Main Branch of the NUM.
A massively strong man in all ways mental and physical he was a great character among the Doncaster miners. Always in the thick of the hardest work, always ready with a helpful word. We believe he died suddenly of cancer during the Xmas break and his funeral has already been held. We deeply regret not being able to send our respects but do so now.
If theres another place after this for good pitmen and Union men Dinger will already be chairing the meeting, if he's in the other place doubtless he's got three arches set already.
Blair's Government to rake-off £525m from miner's pension
Campaigners have described the policy which allows the Government to take £525m of retired miner's pension cash as "appalling".
The NUM and the Coalfield Communities Campaign have called on the Treasury to axe the deal, which was agreed by the former Tory Government and which gives the Treasury an annual cut of the huge profits generated by the mineworker's pension scheme.
It has been estimated that the rake off from the miner's pension, along with that taken from the white collar employees scheme, will be as much as £5bn.
While many retired miners receive less than £10 a week from the pension fund and many more struggle with ill health as the Government drags it's heels over compensation payouts, anger is growing at the huge sums the Government is pocketing.
Last year pensioners received a 9pc increase but the £525m other half of the surplus goes to the Treasury. More than 130 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for more to go to pensioners.
A CCC spokesman said yesterday: "The average pension in the MPS is just £44 a week and a Government report in 1998 showed that 28,000 members received less than £10 a week.
A Trade and Industry Department spokesman said Ministers didn't see any scope for changing the fundamentals of the arrangements which allows the Government to take the vast amounts of cash, but added that the Government was looking at the possibility of giving help to less well off pensioners.
RJB to re-open Thorne Colliery?
News broke this week that RJB is considering three new mining operations, one of which includes the long term mothballed Thorne Colliery. (See our Mining 2000 section for our report on Thorne)
The other two sites concerned are Witham in North Nottinghamshire and
an undisclosed site which is understood to lie outside the traditional
coal mining areas.
RJB said a decision on whether or not the plans would be implemented would depend on government support and funding of "clean" coal fired power stations. Reports suggest if the projects, costing RJB and estimated £100m, do go ahead then as many as 2000 jobs could be created.
The existing shafts at Thorne Colliery would save a substantial amount of development costs," said Stuart Oliver of RJB. "There are also substantial reserves at Thorne in seams which have been worked by other, nearby pits. So we know the nature of the coal. What we need now is a kickstart to clean coal-fired generating capacity to give us the confidence to invest the money to bring Thorne and other sites into production."
"We are looking to expand our existing mines as well, if we can get the clean-coal technology out of the research laboratories and actually up and running," Mr Oliver goes on to say. "We've been able to take on 150 former miners in the last six months and start training 50 apprentices, but this would be a step forward on a different scale."
French riot police charge through the gas
World Trade Organisation demonstration in Nice
A Large contingent from the NUM took part on the World Trade Organisation demonstration in Nice . With about 25 miners on the march the NUM was the biggest of the TUC contingents. About 50,000 trade unionists from all European countries took part in a colourful march round Cannes. That evening and next day hundreds of our comrades from the Anarcho- syndicalist CNT brought the protest to life setting fire to a bank and bricking the CRS, the paramilitary French riot squad. In true form out of the mist and gas bombs they charged hurling bricks and gas grenades, and clubbing anyone, (and thing) that got in the way (a litter bin got a sound clubbing from a short sighted CRS commando, as it apparently fell on him as he charged by.) It was the day our Tory Blair came to town, and he was hidden from the crowds at a secret hotel venue. Until the lads from Lancashire found out and turned up with the Bold Colliery, NUM banner to demonstrate outside the hotel for Justice For Mineworkers, for the victimised men and a return of out pension money. This produced fury among sections of the CRS who attacked the miners and pulled down the banner, confiscating it for a time. The CRS made a move to take the banner away but were confronted by a different section of police who wouldn't let them, and a pushing match began, before the banner was snatched back and given back to Billy. Apparently there are differences between various sections of the French policeforce, but none we would rely on of course.
Billy Kelly president of Lancashire miners in heated "negotiations"
with French riot police
National Delegate Conference 14 Dec backs call for all out national
strike action.
By an overwhelming majority the national conferences held in Barnsley
voted to ballot for all our strike action on RJB sites of all NUM members.
The issue which has had its storm centre at Rossington Colliery in Doncaster
centres on parity of terms and conditions, and a substantial pay award
throughout. Any action should open the way for the negotiation of a national
concilliation scheme and genuine Union recognition from Colliery to National
level. The ballot is expected at the end of January and one can expect
RJB to pull out all the stops to derail the movement. The miners website
calls upon all workers on RJB sites regardless of who employs you to vote
for and take strike action untill the demands are met.
On the Question of Replacement Candidates for Arthur Scargill
Delegates to the National Conference who read the web site were keen to
point out this is the wrong question. The question should not be who but
what ? On what programme is the candidate running ? How does he see the
role and the function of the Union and his place within it ? We agree,
candidates should run on a basic democractic programme. A minimum set
of demands for all serious candidates should be :-
The President shall be paid no more than the average income of the workers
he represents.
Expenses shall be actual not notional.
Restoration of annual conference.
Restoration of Yorkshire Area Secretary.
Restoration of Panel meetings.
Any dispute over rules and interpretation of rules the view of the Area
shall prevail in Areas and on National Rules the view of the National
Conference shall prevail. The presidents ruling shall be subject to usual
challenge. The principle shall be the Union via its representatives shall
determine the rules.
Right to represent members at all DSS and appeal bodies restored to Branch
Officials were required.
Thats a rough cut of what a democratic platform for a new President should
be. Your views will be welcomed. We intend to approach potential candidates
and ask them where they would stand on such a programme. (Obviously these
changes would require a rule change and approval of conference, the incoming
President does not have the power to unilaterally impliment them. They
are however a statement of intent and direction.
BTW
Yorkshire Post ran a recent write up on our old collegues at the Yorkshire
Compensation Recovery Unit, and the involvement of COSA and some former
NUM officials. It was on Friday, but we missed it, has anybody got a copy
?
Exclusive - The Miners web site interviews Chris Skidmore on the dispute and discontentment at Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, one of RJB’s lease and licence mines.
MW The issue has been ongoing for some time and seems to be coming to
a head with the recalled National Delegate conference coming up in Dec.
. Can you tell us the roots of the problem and how it originated ?
CS. Basically the failure of the 1999 pay agreement, and its failure
to secure a National Conciliation Scheme, which would have set the machinery
in place to tackle the terms and the conditions at Rossington. The failure
of the terms of the agreement such as it was when applied to pits like
Rossington. 3% of a 30% attendance/ efficiency bonus (not 10% as reported)
which was anyway simply moved from one column of the wage packet onto
another column without any overall increase. Neither was it consolidated
(as promised) so it wasn't paid onto the grade rate for overtime. The
remaining 27% of the promised bonus remained separate from the basic rate.
Eventually the 3% did go on the basic rate, proper after the repeated
intervention of the National President.
The Conciliation Scheme which was offered as a way forward to discuss
parity of terms of conditions throughout the company (RJB) . ¬ Lease
and Licence miners work on inferior conditions than those at core RJB
mines bought under the Transfer of Undertakings legislation ¬ never
happened. One meeting, then nothing, our National Officials were treated
with contempt much the same as we were at the pit . NACODS ( ‘supervisors’
and shot firer’s ) received two pay deals inside 12 months, also
worth nothing ! While RJB increased sick pay at its core collieries without
being asked (also linked pro- rata to future rises) Better in sickness
than in health by heck ! But not so for anybody who worked at a Lease
Licence Mine or "who started at any pit after privatisation"
There were long periods of inactivity, letter writing, frustration with
a capital F. Lads became unavailable to work as much overtime as the management
required. Playing football, taking Granny for a walk, whatever. Management
went ballistic and pleaded with the Union to sort it out. They did, they
balloted the members for official action and got a 96 % majority. RJB
went berserk again.
MW. I don't think either of us are giving away any secrets when I say
the men at Rossington have not been well pleased with the NUM per sae.
Its not a secret because any of us who bump into Rossington men round
town on a Saturday neet will soon have their ear holes bent as "those
wankers". If one is considered to be one of "the wankers"
yourself you might well have the ear hole thumped. Can you tell us why
the men at Rossington have been so unpleased ?
CS. An attack on one is an attack on all !!
MW. Rossington took action as a branch for some time didn't it. What happened
to the action and what was the response of the Owners ?
CS. The remaining 27% attendance/ efficiency bonus was consolidated
into the basic rate. Rossington took action as a branch for 16 weeks with
everyone standing together. The only people who didn't ,weren't in the
Union anyway. Then there followed letters with lies and statistics- counter
letters and truths from Union sources and "Rossington Rat" was
resurrected !! Culminating in "Dear Colleague, Stop the Action or
you'll be sacked !! No serious dialogue ever took place between RJB and
the Union, while the Union National President was not allowed to meet
RJB. !
MW. It is last July since the issue was debated at Conference and if I
remember rightly unanimously decided that if the Company didn't move then
a special National Delegate Conference would be called to discuss what
action we a Union would take. It is now November 24th. and the conference
is at last now happening, what happened in the intervening four months
?
CS. Nowt !
MW. How did the conference go today in your view ?
CS. OK to a point..solidarity is not what it was...There are some hearts and minds to win over as there is in every ballot situation. I think the message is getting through, there isn't a two or three tier system within the Union. Miners are Miners ! Branch officials have a duty to represent everybody and actively put the message across. Those being balloted must be told on the ballot paper that any dismissal during an official lawful dispute will be unfair if it takes place fewer than 8 weeks after you started taking part in action. They will also be told that dismissal outside the eight weeks can still be unfair.
We are in exactly the same position as March’99, that's where the frustration springs from. RJB had no intention of making provision for the Lease and Licence pits and miners on L&L terms and conditions at T.U.P.E pits (at present due to increased manpower there are a lot more miners in this category.) Lets Hope this time we stick together to address all the issues on the ballot paper.
MW. Where do you think we go from here as a Union and you as a Branch
?
CS. Time will tell on that one !!.
MW. Will today’s decision heal some of the wounds at Rossington vis-a-vis
the branch and the Union apparatus ?
CS. Ask me that again in a couple of months from now !!
MW . Finally what do the men at Rossington think of our coverage of their
dispute and do you think our web site Miners News Service is a good idea
or is it "dangerous" as some in the Union are heard to say ?
CS. Good idea- but if I’m being totally honest I’d rather see an unbiased, uncensored monthly miners paper, that is available to everybody rather than the few who can afford computers !!!
MW. We’d like to see that too, perhaps we will produce one, though how long it stays uncensored and how it manages to do so is the crucial question.
Thank you for your time.
News Update. Sport
Paolo Di Canio West Ham United (Italian) midfielder talked about his respect
for Benito Mussolini
Paolo Di Canio West Ham United (Italian) midfielder talked about his respect
for the former Italian Fascist dictator in the last chapter of his autobiography.
Boasting that he has collected all the works of Benito Mussolini he goes
on to call for the emergence of another such individual to rescue Italy.
Mussolini we recall unleashed the fascist forces to surpress Trade Unions,
anarchists, communists and anyone a bit progressive, massacred thousands
of Abyssinians (Ethiopians) using massively superior fire power against
simple tribesmen. He the man who linked up with Hitler , deporting Jews
and other unpopular races, and taking his army into the most unpopular
campaign in their history. Incidentally it gave rise to the reputation
for cowardice which the Italians have long suffered unfairly; simply because
hundreds of thousands of Italian troops refused to fight, and surrendered
wholesale. This wasn't cowardice but actually quite brave. Italian antifascist
partisans and volunteers in the International Brigades in Spain proved
how hard they could fight when they actually supported the cause. It is
hoped Mr Di Canio will get to know what most folk think of fascists past
or present.
Later thoughts about the item on Arthur being deselected by the
Yorkshire Post:-
The prospect of Arthur at long last retiring poses the interesting question
of, "Who do we think should replace him ?"
We are opening a nominations page, for who you think should replace Arthur
Scargill and why.
No more than say, 60 words. Nominations can be recieved from any reader
of the web site since this is for debate only and has no standing whatever
in the NUM as such, (other than to possibly throw some tokens in the helmit
)
Gas Price Rise
Domestic gas and electricity bills are set to rise by 25% in the new year
because of soaring prices for oil and gas on world markets.
Anna Walker the director general for eneregy at the DTI told an Institute
Of Economic Affairs Conference in London that the UK faced a 100% rise
in wholesale gas prices .
The latest on the Rossington dispute - 03-12-00
The situation has moved on since the Special Delegate Conference and a united resolution for all out industrial action has been tabled.
Area delegates are now taking this back to Areas and Branches to seek endorsement or otherwise of the action. A recalled conference is due in Dec to ratify the decision and take the question out to individual ballot vote of the members.
The issue is not simply that of treatment given out to Rossington, or at the other Lease and License Mines but the whole question of Conciliation and Collective Bargaining. Up to press we have heard of no response from RJB.
Chinese coal mines - The deadliest in the world
This report, taken from the internet today, is about the latest in the
spate of explosions taking the lives of Chinese miners.
China Coal Mine Blasts Kill 67
Sunday December 3, 2000 2:00 pm
BEIJING (AP) - Rescuers have abandoned hopes of finding more survivors
of a north China coal mine explosion that may have killed almost 50 people,
while another mine blast in the country's southwest has killed 17, mine
officials said Sunday.
Crews digging by hand at the northern Hulun Bei'er No. 2 coal mine near China's border with Mongolia found the bodies of three additional victims on Saturday, a week after the explosion, said a mine official, who gave just his surname, Li.
``The shaft is completely filled in so they ruled out finding any survivors,'' said Li, adding that one of the bodies found was that of a mine safety inspector.
Fourteen bodies have been found, more than 30 are still missing and 12 survived the blast, all suffering injuries of varying degrees of seriousness, Li said. Authorities have not yet drawn up a final list of those assumed dead, he said.
Authorities had ordered the shaft excavated by hand rather than by machines that could have ignited new explosions of gas still inside the mine. Rescue efforts were slowed when diggers were forced to pause each time they cleared a stretch of debris so that fans could draw out gas from the mine.
Separately, an explosion in a coal mine in Yunnan province on Thursday killed 17, including two of the operation's co-owners, said a spokesman for the Qujing city government. The Laochonggou mine, like most small, privately run mining outfits, was unlicensed and lacked necessary safety equipment, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Chinese mines often lack the vents that prevent explosions by drawing gas generated during mining out of the shaft. Along with mine floods and cave-ins, frequent explosions have helped make China's mines the world's deadliest.
Stringent new regulations to improve mine safety were scheduled to go into effect on Friday. The rules mandate routine safety inspections, allow authorities to shut down mines that fail to meet basic safety standards, and require mines to properly train and equip miners, who are usually unemployed farmers.
Miners reunited with old banner - It has pride of place in the
Gardeners' Club
BACK HOME - the 1966 colliery banner now has pride of place at the Usworth
and Washington Gardeners' Club
Former North East miners and their families will tonight be reunited with
a prized item of industrial heritage. Detective work by the son of a miner
at Washington F Pit uncovered the whereabouts of the colliery banner,
which mysteriously disappeared from the town many years ago. Pride Now
the banner, which used to be displayed in Washington Miners' Welfare Hall
in Spout Lane, Concord, is back home. It has pride of place alongside
the Usworth Lodge banner at the Usworth and Washington Gardeners' Club
in Concord, where an inauguration ceremony will be held tonight.
The banner, which was made in 1966, depicts Durham Cathedral on the front and Conishead Priory in Cumbria, which used to be a miners' convalescent home. After the welfare hall shut the banner was moved to the F Pit Museum in Albany Way. But then it vanished from Washington and former mining families wondered where it was. Len Wilson, who used to be a member of the colliery band, was determined to bring the banner back to the town when his brother-in-law, Ray Middleton, discovered it was in the Catherine Cookson Museum in South Shields. Mr Wilson, 57, of Essex Drive, Concord, said:"I got in touch with Dave Hopper, the Durham NUM secretary, and he was very surprised because he didn't know how it got to South Shields, so he arranged to have it picked up and taken to Durham. "My dad, Walter, worked at the F pit and I have always believed it belongs to the men from the colliery and their families. "It's Washington's banner and it belongs with Washington people."
Mr Wilson's father was made redundant when the F pit closed in 1968 and died, aged 78, during the 1984 miners' strike after a lifetime's work underground. Delight He said:"My dad would have been over the moon to see the banner back. "A lot of people didn't realise it was missing and they are delighted it's come home." If enough cash was raised, he said, it was planned to show the banner at next year's Durham Miners' Gala. Gardeners Club chairman Bill Sweeney said:"It'll be quite emotional tonight. We're hoping as many people as possible will come along."
by Matt Casey - Evening Chronicle 30-11-00
http://www.evening-chronicle.co.uk/index.html
Yorkshire Post deselects Scargill !
Reporting on the Bentley Disasters memorial service, the paper tells us :- " The Service was held at Arksey cemetary and was attended by local MPs and councillors as well as former president of the NUM Arthur Scargill" Do they know something we dont ?
Justice For Mineworkers Campaign Christmas Cards
Our Christmas cards are available again this year, this time as a set
of 11 cards depicting 11 assorted Durham colliery banners. Each set is
priced at just £10.00 (including p&p)
The outstanding design of the original NUM banners has ensured that people
have been buying and sending these cards year after year. The cards enable
you to send socialist greetings to your friends and relatives and profits
go to the Justice Campaign. Our sacked comrades need the money rather
more than the shareholders of the Xmas card industry.
Make cheques payable to "Justice for Mineworkers Campaign" and
send your orders to:
Rick Sumner,
103 Cliff Road
Hornsea
HU18 1JB
Twenty-six thousand retired Welsh miners waiting for compensation
The plight of former miners waiting for compensation for diseases contracted
underground is to be discussed at a meeting in London.
MPs will meet union leaders on Wednesday to discuss the slow progress
of the compensation scheme.
Twenty-six thousand retired Welsh miners or their widows have applied for compensation after contracting lung diseases but hundreds have died without receiving any payments.
Various attempts to speed up the scheme appear to have had little effect.
Members of a committee set up to monitor the process will meet in London on Wednesday to hear a progress report from the Department of Trade and Industry.
MPs from mining areas are expected to demand more help for widows and the oldest miners.
They have welcomed the new fast-track scheme set in place by the government a few weeks ago and an extension to the deadline for applications .
But they fear that some payments are being delayed because of difficulty in obtaining medical records.
Earlier this month, it emerged that a health centre set up in Wrexham to accelerate medical checks on ex-miners had failed to process a single claim in nine months.
The centre had dealt with just two compensation claims since it opened in January, prompting concern in the area.
(from the BBC World News service 28/11/00)
MPs set to back coal aid cash
(This story featured on the Ananova news service 28/11/00)
Coal producers with a "viable future" will be able to claim tens of millions of pounds in subsidies under a scheme set to receive Commons backing.
Unveiling the £110 million scheme, Trade and Industry Minister of State Helen Liddell said the cash would ensure mines did not close because of short-term difficulties.
No more than £75 million will be paid out to one operator from the package, which is being offered over a temporary period between April 17, this year and July 23, 2004.
The money was not just for "the big players" and no mine was too small to qualify, including open cast and deep mines.
Mrs Liddell said the Government believed the UK coal industry had a long-term viable future, but did recognise that it faced "exceptional short-term difficulties".
The package, approved by the European Commission, is a response to low coal prices, the lifting of the stricter gas consents policy and new electricity trading arrangements which are due to be implemented.
Mrs Liddell asked the Commons to approve financial assistance exceeding £10 million for each of Hatfield Coal Company Ltd, Mining (Scotland) Limited and RJB Mining plc, who have already made applications for the money.
"We therefore propose to pay aid on a temporary basis to enable the industry to overcome its temporary difficulties in this transitional period following the lifting of the stricter gas consents policy," she said.
The scheme will only assist those parts of the industry with a viable future once the subsidy scheme has ended and "was not an attempt to prop up a lame duck industry".
"I reiterate that this is a temporary measure for temporary difficulties," said Mrs Liddell. "In order to obtain aid, a production unit will have to demonstrate a viable plan, not only up to the end of the subsidy scheme in July 2002, but also the period beyond 2002, until at least 2004."
She added that the subsidy will "secure the long term future of Britain's coal industry". She said: "I'm sure that in the many mining communities in this country, it will be welcomed."
Miners' banner to wave again
A Millennium project to bring the Chopwell Miners' Lodge banner back to
the village was such a success it is hoped to repeat it.
Villagers are to kick off an appeal to raise the £1,300 needed to
pay for the project next July.
On Friday, local band Crux is performing in the Top Club, Chopwell, between
8.30pm and midnight.
Tickets cost £2 from Terry Meadows, chairman of the banner appeal,
on (01207) 561102 or visitors can pay at the door.
Similar to the summer it is planned to parade the banner through the village
to the sound of a brass band and then take it to the Durham Miners' Gala.
"It was an incredible success when we did this in July for the first time
as a Millennium project," said Mr Meadows.
(This story appeared in The Evening Chronicle 28/11/00)
Blast at Chinese coal mine killed 11 miners and injured 23 others.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Rescuers at a coal mine in Inner Mongolia raced against
time on Wednesday to reach 40 miners still trapped after an explosion
last week but said hopes of finding survivors were slim. Last Friday's
blast killed 11 miners and injured 23.
An official said the trapped miners' chances of survival were diminished
by toxic fumes from the explosion pouring into the area where they were.
"The chance of them being alive is so small, but we will keep making
efforts up till the last minute," said an official from the rescue
team. The official, who declined to be identified, said rescuers had not
been able to contact those trapped.
"The distance left between us is about 200 metres (yards), and it
will take several hours to get to them," the official told Reuters.
"We haven't made contact with the miners up to now. We are unable
to speak to them or give them any water or food."
There was no immediate word on what caused the explosion at the Dayan
Coal Company's mine and mine officials have said there would be an investigation
into the accident.
The explosion is the latest in a series of underground disasters in China's
estimated 40,000 coal mines, which are often badly run and have slack
safety standards.
Nine men died on Monday after inhaling poisonous fumes following a gas
explosion in the southwestern province of Sichuan, state media have said.
In September, 162 miners died after an explosion in the southwestern province
of Guizhou, some after failed efforts to keep them alive by feeding them
porridge, milk, water and soup down a long iron pipe.
The government has pledged to improve safety standards in the industry
and between January and September it closed down 18,000 illegal and unregulated
mines.
China, both the biggest producer and consumer of coal in the world, relies
on it to provide 75 percent of its energy.
The Latest on the Rossington dispute 23/11/00
Readers of our pages will recall the issue of the Rossington dispute
with RJB Mining and their frustration with features of the NUM itself.
We have not reported on this question since the imposition of NEC reporting
restrictions upon the site. However it is clear from local newspapers
(The Doncaster Free Press, Thursday 23 rd Nov) this issue is again on
the boil and now in the public domain.
A Special Delegate Conference of the NUM has been called for Friday 24
November to discuss action over the dispute and related issues.
"Miners claimed they work longer hours than those at other pits owned
by the firm (RJB) including Maltby and Harworth, get no night shift allowances
and receive inferior sick pay schemes.
They have been campaigning for parity of terms and conditions since last
year and NUM officials (representatives) unanimously backed their cause
at their annual conference at Blackpool in July."
Rossington NUM Branch Secretary John Gibson said "We just want the
same treatment as everyone else- equal terms and conditions."
In Feb Rossington workers voted 95 % in favour of imposing an overtime
ban. The paper says its was removed in June following "talks with
RJB" actually it was due to punitive action, lockouts and threats
and a resolution among the men that this wasn't simply a Rossington issue,
as others pits were in the same position. "Mr Gibson added "When
we abandoned our action it was the end of the matter at branch level.
We sent it in as a resolution to the National Conference and from then
on it became a national executive matter."
We are prevented by the reporting restrictions from reporting direct from
the conference despite our attendance at it, but will attempt to get an
interview with the Rossington officials and an in depth report on the
issue and its history.
More Purges In The Socialist Labour Party
This interesting communiqué from Arthur Scargill appeared in the Weekly Worker - Thursday 16 November 2000
Addressed to Alan Brooke, Huddersfield SLP and dated November
2 2000, Mr Scargill wrote:
Dear Comrade,
I understand that you have joined or are supporting the Socialist Alliance,
a decision which of course is contrary to the Socialist Labour Party’s
constitution, in particular clause II. Clause II (4) makes clear that
any individual who has his or her own programme, principle and policy,
distinctive and separate propaganda, or who is engaged in the promotion
of policies in opposition to those of the party, shall be ineligible for
affiliation to the party, whilst clause II (5) makes clear that a member
of the party who becomes a member of and/or supports a political organisation
other than the party shall automatically be ineligible to become or remain
a party member.
In view of your decision to join/support the Socialist Alliance it is
clear that you are no longer eligible to be a member of the Socialist
Labour Party.
Yours faithfully
A Scargill
general secretary
This is a confidential document and it’s contents must not be
disclosed without prior permission from the author or the general secretary.
Unauthorised disclosure will be considered detrimental to the Socialist
Labour Party.
Alan Brooke replied to Mr Scargill’s with a letter
dated November 6 200, addressed "To Arthur Scargill".
After thanking Mr Scargill for his letter, he went on to say:
You are incorrect in your assertion that by supporting the Socialist Alliance
I am in breach of clause II (4) of the party constitution. I do not have
my own programme, principles and policy or distinctive and separate propaganda.
I am supporting the SA in order to promote the same policies, principles
and programme which I subscribed to when I joined the SLP.
Clause IV in fact advocates working with other socialists. This is all
I am doing. This is more than can be said for others who remain in the
party with their own agenda and party structure.
The difference is that you apparently support the Stalinist agenda of
the Brar group which has operated as a party within our party since 1997.
You have not responded to our concerns and have therefor forced us into
this course of action. Your willingness to expel good comrades while tolerating
these hard line Stalinist elements is an indication of how far our party
has lost it’s way. This is very sad, as the SLP had so much promise.
The SLP could have provided leadership to the working class - instead
it has marginalised itself through it’s sectarian and undemocratic
practices.
I will continue to fight for the principles on which the SLP was founded
before it proved itself to be a bear pit of intrigue, duplicity and untruthfulness.
You often said you had dropped your baggage, but the ghost of Uncle Joe
seems to follow you. Until you exorcise this ghoul the SLP will go nowhere.
Yours regretfully
Alan Brooke
(on behalf of Colne Valley and Huddersfield CSLPs)
We may draft a full analysis on the SLP where
we’ll be asking what went wrong with it?, and looking at the reason
why we think it’s sunk.
Members, ex-members and non-members of the SLP are invited to send their
comments to Dave Douglass.
Peter Elliott 1925 - 2000
Peter Elliott was a leading member of the famous folk singing family, "The Elliotts of Birtley", whose devotion to the folk songs of the Durham Coalfield has earned them a special place in the history of the Durham Miners.
With deep regret I learned that my dear old comrade Pete Elliott had died on January 13. Aye, I had known he was struggling and had been for some time, especially after having had a lung removed; but like many another I supposed he would "gaan" on forever.
Pete and the Elliotts of Birtley had a profound effect on my life. When my social and political perceptions started to expand and then explode as I entered teenage life in the rebel 1960s. Pete was always the cornerstone of some new found understanding, a visionary of a time well before my time, yet oddly important to "wor new generation". "Lang haired" and "pop cultured", talking the language of sexual and social freedoms, the historical legacies of "wor" older generations and our Northumbrian culture. The dialect and music were cheek by jowl, vital and vibrant. They had no better exponent and we had no better teacher than Pete.
The impact of that early Folkways recording "The Elliotts of Birtley" was profound. It was a treasure of Northern culture, a statement of community, of class and of unbending struggle against social and economic injustice. The voices were "wor" voices, the voices of "wor folk" - real folk. The first record me and my dad ever enjoyed together, when all else had been features of an all consuming generation war. The class and the culture of folk like the Elliotts finally brought home to me that this dad of mine was one of those workers I waxed so lyrical about, a life long miner and trade unionist. He had appeared only as the enemy-generation imposing authority and restricting freedoms. That record got me listening to The Elliotts as spokespersons for their generation.
Pete and the rest of his family developed strong ties with the Doncaster miners, particularly the Hatfield folk, making the "lang track sooth" for miner’s music evenings celebrating May Day and the Yorkshire Miners Gala. A new generation of Yorkshire pit-kids learned their music, took the stage and sang Elliott songs, made them their own and another piece of "wor" culture and musical heritage was added.
Pete once said, "I was brought up by my Dad and Mam to be a freethinker as well as a Socialist, laying down every person’s right to question any establishment maxim. Which is probably why I ended up being a member of no political party in my early twenties and concentrating my efforts on trying to improve the lot of my fellow worker, (and myself of course) and it cost me any amount of jobs and status".
Pete is also well loved and remembered by the Tyneside Folk Music community. He had been a founder member of the Newcastle Folk Club in 1957.
Pete’s funeral was a triumph of music solidarity, the chosen songs taken up by the whole massed choir of Pete’s family and army of friends while his old colleague Colin Ross piped in the coffin and played at the service on the lyrical Northumbrian small pipes. The oration was given by a leader of the Secular Society of which Pete had, true to his word, been a life long advocate and member.
Pete will be missed by tens of thousands. His contribution will live on and his memory will live on with us. The depth and extent of that influence over generations will endure for a very long time to come.
My condolences to his wife Pat and family.
"Keep ya timmer in Pete la, we’ll all be riding soon!"
Dave Douglass.
This obituary appeared in the latest issue of Bands and Banners - Issue No.6 - Summer 2000
Read our review of this edition of Bands and Banners on the Our View page.
European Commission Clears £110 million Coal Aid
An aid package worth £110 million has been cleared by the European Commission in an effort to safeguard thousands of jobs within the coal industry.
The Government also announced it is lifting stricter controls on gas fired power stations and approving six schemes worth a potential £2 billion of investment.
Wrong Informatation On Raleys Profit.
We regret to have included a piece of misinformation concerning Raleys profits. The figures we quoted, which we had heard on the grapevine, were totally incorrect. It seems we mixed up the money recovered for clients, with profits.
We unconditionally apologise to Raleys for the inaccuracies.
We attempt to provide accurate information and commentary but rely upon organisations and individuals to correct any errors we make from time to time.
NUM to join anti-capitalist protests in Niece on 6/7/8 Dec.
A number of NUM representatives will take part in the protest against the World Trade Organisation. If recent protests are anything to go by delegates should bring their pit helmets.
Hatfield Branch Secretaries remembered.
The latest National Delegate Meeting held at Barnsley 2nd Oct. stood in tribute to Frank Clark and Peter Curran former Branch Secretaries at Hatfield both of whom had died recently
Subject: Thousands of Chinese coal miners die annually due to lax safety
Chinese coal mines remain potential deathtraps and thousands of miners perish every year in preventable accidents despite frequent official promises to improve safety.
In the most recent tragedy, at least 100 miners died after a huge gas explosion late Wednesday at a coal mine in the southwestern province of Guizhou. Wednesday's accident stands out because of the size of the blast and high death toll.
Fatal coal mining accidents are so common in China that they only make headline news in extreme cases. In Guizhou alone, 136 miners died between mid-July and mid-September in 20 separate accidents, 18 of which were caused by gas explosions, according to the China Coal News, a newspaper published by the State Coal Industry Bureau. Official figures showed that mining accidents killed 7,423 people in China in 1998, while 3,464 died in the first nine months of 1999. But the situation could be much worse than that. Some estimates suggest 10,000 miners die each year following gas explosions alone.
Part of the reason is that China is the world's largest coal producer and consumer, even after government efforts to reduce output and shift to cleaner energy sources. Last year, China's mines produced 1.023 billion tons of coal, according to reports in the China Coal News. But the size of the industry is not the whole story. Analysts estimate that coal-mining deaths are 182 times more frequent in China than in the United States, when measured against the amount of coal produced.
Government officials have long said they are aware of the problem and want to solve it. In August 1996 the now-defunct Ministry of Coal Industry issued guidelines making implementation of the Mines Safety Law easier. In 1998 the government downgraded many smaller ministries, and the State Coal Industry Bureau is now in charge of coal mining. Wang Shenhao, who headed up the coal ministry, in February the following year called for a system to punish those neglecting safety.
More recently, officials have been targeting small, unlicensed and poorly managed rural coal mines that are often run by local entrepreneurs in cooperation with township officials.
These mines are too numerous and too scattered to be efficiently monitored by central authorities, and safety standards have suffered as a result. Last year, out of 72 major coal mine accidents, 55 took place in township-run coal mines. Most commonly, authorities have been authorised to close the mines down, using their lack of appropriate licenses as the charge. This policy, which also reduces output, will reportedly lead to the closure of 18,900 small mines this year.
Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet) / Thu, 28 Sep 2000 2:50:05 PDT BEIJING, Sept 28 (AFP) -
Massive Explosion In Chinese Mine.
At least 100 of our fellow miners have been killed in Guizhou Province in South West China. Reports suggest many others may still be trapped underground. This is the latest in virtual massacre of miners in Chinese pits. 665 have been killed in the first quarter of this year.
We do not have details of the explosion but know from our own history that such explosions are caused by two factors. Unregulated coal dust in the mine air and build ups of firedamp gas, the spark is simply a catalyst which on its own would be harmless. Coal dust can be suppressed and firedamp can be detected and dispersed, it requires only the will to do so. Clearly there is no such thing as workers rights in Chinese coal mines, never mind Socialism.
We express our anger and sympathy and the terrible loss of our fellow workers.
Death of former Branch Secretary at Hatfield Main
It is with sadness that we hear of the death of Peter Curran the former Branch Secretary at Hatfield. Peter served as secretary during the great coal strike of 84/5 and stood his corner as well as any other. The service for him will be held at the threepennybit church on Sheep Dip Lane, Dunscroft, Doncaster we believe at 1 pm on Friday 29 Sept. We express our deepest sympathy to Pete's family and friends.
HMI Response to NUM Branch Concerns At Hatfield Colliery
In response to concerns raised by the NUM about safety issues at Hatfield Colliery, Mr. R Stevenson Principle Inspector of Mines and Quarries conducted an enquiry at the pit.
One issue was the working temperature on 124s unit. Men had complained of exhausting heat. The Mines inspector concedes the temperature is hotter than the men at Hatfield have had to endure previously "however the reading taken by Mr. Arthur around the district should not constitute a health risk to a reasonably fit person."
The other issue was the management decision to stop pumping water out of the mine, and instead to flood abandoned districts. Fears had been expressed by men working in the No 1 pit in the seam below the flooding districts. The Mines inspectorate reported that water was being pumped into the old districts at 35g/pm. That the old working dip North East. They had predicted that it would take 14 years for the water to swell back to the North east Loco Road. He informed us that there were no workings below the flooding section. However the whole situation would be reviewed continually.
We are not too sure we feel assured at all about an ocean of water steadily building up in any area of the mine, we rely on the men on site to keep us informed.
Commemoration at scene of miners massacre.
Ludlow, Colorado, (USA)
Miners and other workers gathered June 25 at the site of the 1914 Ludlow Mine Disaster. This however had been no cave in or explosion. It was in short a massacre of striking miners and their families. On the morning of April 20th 1914 Colorado National Guard opened fire on the tent village which the miners and their families had been forced to construct following their eviction from their houses. The miners were on strike against the Rockerfeller owned Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. Not content with shooting all day into the 1200 miners and their families pinned down in their tents, they then went from tent to tent setting them ablaze. 20 died including 2 women and 11 children.
The United Mine Workers Of America maintains a monument at the site.
New Mexico Miners (USA) Strike Over Contract.
The United Mine Workers Of America are in action at the McKinley mine owned by the Pittsburgh and Midway Coal Company. They've been on strike since May 15th. The miners are composed 90% of Native Americans
John Wilson who has worked at the mine for two years previously worked for the same company at Black Mesa mine in Kayenta Arizona, also in Navajo country. "The more organised labor comes in the more protection our people will have. A lot of our people worked for uranium mines. They didn't have safety equipment. A lot of miners were exposed to uranium and died from radiation poisoning. Our tribal leaders had a hard time getting compensation for ex-miners. A lot of abandoned mines continue to harm our people because reclamation has not been done to clean it up. The union fights for a lot of benefits- not just for workers but the whole Navajo tribe."
Australian Miners Strike Against 10 Hour Day
20,000 miners members of (CFMEU, construction, forestry , energy and mining union) walked out on 24 hour strike on 19 June stopping all the mines in New South Wales.
The strike was in protest at the Industrial Relations Court ruling that the mine employers are in order to make miners work 10 hours underground. The way is now open for shifts of 12 hours. The decision also ruled in favour of the bosses imposing a 10 year freeze on wages. Protests continue.
Excellent day at Durham Miners Gala.
The gala continues to go from strength to strength, supported by four newly reconditioned lodge banners which have never taken the field in over 20 years, a Lancashire miners banner making an appearance at Durham for the first time ever, a Yorkshire banner for the first time since the strike and scores of other Unions. Something in the order of 30,000 folk turned out in the sunshine for a wonderful day. Highlights included the number of children�s groups from the communities and community based colleges taking part. On the down side about 50 prat's from the Countryside Alliance supported by four well known supporters of the British Movement (fascists) joined the parade, much to the annoyance of those who knew who they were. They stuck stickers on everyone saying Justice and Jobs or something similar which made most folks think it was to do with the sacked miners. Bickerstaff fortunately made a blistering attack upon them from the platform, to loud cheers and claps from the crowd. A protest was made by a large part of the Yorkshire contingent including Arthur Scargill carrying placards about the misuse, well robbery of our pension fund and the fate of the dismissed men. Preaching to the converted though since poor old Tony Benn had been wheeled out yet again to be the Labour Party�s voice on the platform and he supports the cause of the miners. None of the others risked a roasting which they certainly would have got.
The gala looks destined to continue into the foreseeable future, it is well worth marking in your diary for next year. Don't forget Northumberland next week.
Officials of the North East Area are expressing anger at yet another attack from New Labour. It seems Tony Blair was invited as star of the show at the forthcoming Durham Miners Gala. He has declined. We are surprised at the invitation actually and Tony choose what else he is, isn't stupid. Its obvious the reception he received from the Tory ladies of the WI, would be nowt compared to the reception he'd get from miners, their families and widows etc. There is no love lost between the latter and the former, especially in relation to miners pensions and the state robbery which has taken place under Tory Tory and Labour/Tory governments.
Dave has been making enquiries about men given naff advice from Solicitors and settling for pathetic amounts . Dave wondered whether we could sue the naff solicitors. Below is an edited version of the reply from Raleys. So in brief the answer is "yes" see Dave if you think you've been done.
"It is possible to sue a firm of solicitors if they gave negligent advice leading to a significant undersettlement of a claim. Whether the claim is strong enough to win will depend on all the circumstances: the strength of the original, the advice that was given, the status of the main VWF litigation at the time etc. It will be necessary to look at the medical report and letters sent to the man concerned to consider the prospects of an individual claim. I am presently advising 4 men, 3 involving (a firm of solicitors) If you receive any further enquiries about VWF negligence claims I am happy for you to pass them onto me. Questions about VWF generally or Resp should go through the usual channels. You may wish to post some info about VWF neg on your website, I think there may be a lot out there.
Jim Gladman.
(This story appeared in The Doncaster Free Press 15 June 2000)
A NEW lease of life could be breathed into Doncaster's deserted pits under proposals to turn former sites into gas and oil mines. The Government is currently sifting through dozens of applications from a number of energy companies looking to mine methane supplies beneath derelict pit sites across the UK. Although the exact sites are yet to be revealed, South Yorkshire's coalfield is likely to figure heavily in the scheme.
Thirty companies have submitted 57 applications to tap into the gas at more than 140 sites throughout the country. The proposals were announced by Energy Minister Helen Liddell who said: "There has been strong, positive interest from many companies attracted by the potential for new oil and gas discoveries. "The momentum for commercial extraction of coal bed methane as a valuable energy source has increased.
There are substantial environmental benefits if vent gas from abandoned coal mines can be fully exploited in the UK." The decision on which companies have been successful and which sites are to be used is likely to be revealed in the early autumn.
India Coalminers Strike
India Coalminers began an indefinite strike at the Singareni Collieries. Production was halted at all 70 collieries, workshops and major dept.
About 50 members of the various miners unions have been arrested including Mr. D Sesiah SCWU (Singareni Collieries Workers Union) general secretary, who was arrested and taken into custody.
Cash wait takes toll on miners
The following appeared in the Doncaster Free Press, 8th June 2000
Forty six former miners in the region have died so far this year suffering
from lung disease problems, it emerged today.
A union boss - involved in the bid to speed up compensation pay-outs -
says if they had been killed the same day in a pit disaster there would
be an outcry. The death toll among miners waiting for compensation is
rising despite the Government's attempt to accelerate payments.
Miner's welfare champion Dave Douglass, who is based in Stainforth near
Doncaster, feels the public may have forgotten about their plight.
Mr. Douglass, who runs the Mining Community Advice Centre, today spoke
out after being informed of the deaths of 46 ex-pitmen from chronic bronchial
problems so far this year in the country.
"If 46 miners died on the same day in a pit disaster it would be big headlines
and there would be a national outcry ."
"But because they are dying at home with just their families around them
no-one seems to be concerned."
This week the Government's Energy Minister, Helen Liddell, visited South
Yorkshire to meet with members of the compensation scheme's Monitoring
Group to discuss progress on payouts.
She said, "Payments to sick miners have now topped £60 million and
the total is rising every day."
But her visit has also rankled with Mr. Douglass, who feels the National
Union of Mineworkers has been snubbed.
The deadline for bronchial disease claims from the compensation fund is
February 2001 and Mr. Douglass says anyone who feels they are entitled
to claim should contact him.
Mark Barnsley Injustice
Hatfield Main Branch N.U.M. and the Doncaster Mining Communities Advice
Centre support the struggle for justice for Mark Barnsley. On June 8th
it will be 6 years since Mark's trail of injustice began. Firstly he was
set upon by a gang of drunken middle-class students, outside the Pomona
pub in Sheffield, as he walked with his girlfriend and their child in
a pram; then he was fitted up and jailed for defending himself against
them. Mark has refused to take part in the Parole system because he will
not acknowledge any guilt and has fought against the injustice of his
arrest, trial and sentence ever since. He is held, in maximum security
conditions and is moved around to make it difficult for his friends and
family to see him. June 8th Picket Sheffield Crown Court 11 am Sheffield
Star offices, York Street, Off High Street, 2 p.m. (the Star has consistently
refused to put over Mark's defence or his side of the story.) The NUM
Advice Centre is in regular personal touch with Mark.
For more details contact:
http://www.appleonline.net/justiceuk/eddie/mark.html
or
http://www.access.lowtech.org/freepeople/mark.html
Pit Strike Justice?
The following appeared in the Doncaster Free Press, 25th May 2000
Miners sacked during the bitter pit strike of the 1980s could be in line
for compensation.
The Government has announced plans to take a fresh look at the cases of
170 pitmen dismissed during the 1984-85 dispute.
And the decision by Energy Secretary Helen Liddell could mean a cash boost
for dozens of men - 15 years on from the end of the 12-month long struggle
which crippled Doncaster's mining villages.
The news has been welcomed by the area's MPs and mining union officials
who are keen to see the ghost of the strike firmly laid to rest.
Caroline Flint, MP for Don Valley, said, "I am really pleased by this
decision. The strike was a difficult time for many people and now hopefully
those unfairly treated will get some compensation.
"There are a lot of people out there who will be keen to see some justice
done".
"There has been a lot of unresolved business relating to the mining industry
which has been left to drift for many years and now it is finally being
sorted out".
Her views were echoed by Doncaster North MP Kevin Hughes who also backed
the announcement and said, "This is a welcome move by the Government.
It is an old sore that needs healing in mining communities."
And Dave Douglass, branch secretary of Hatfield NUM and a leading campaigner
in fighting mining issues, said, "Justice has been a long time coming.
Many people sacked in the strike haven't worked from that day to this."
"Everyone suffered back then but these people have suffered ever since.
This is a significant step forward and if it happens it will bring good
news for a lot of people."
More than 1,000 men were sacked by British Coal for strike-related offences
during the dispute.
From that total, all but 170 were offered re-employment after having their
cases reviewed.
But Ms. Liddell stressed that there would be no question of payment to
miners involved in serious crimes of violence.
Launching the consultation document, she said, "This remains an emotive
issue in coalfield areas. We cannot reverse history, but I believe we
should be willing to look again at cases where there may be real evidence
of unfair treatment."
Miner's unions and welfare organisations as well as other interested parties
are being invited to submit comments on the document by the end of June.
Watch these pages for any further news on this subject.
And now for something completely different.
Thursday just gone, Barnsley were playing, a certain fanatical fan had
already booked his spot in the pub with the wide screen TV to watch the
glorious match. His wife and her Dad, not being football fans took themselves
out to a Chinese restaurant in Doncaster. After eating all they could,
there was a few vegitables and a bit of rice left. So, suggests the wife,
she'll take it home with her, as the husband will doubtless be hungry
and he will add stuff to the remains and make a fry up. Arriving back
she leaves the carry away box in the white plastic bag in the kitchen
for the husbands return, and goes to bed. Meantime, great minds think
alike, he has called in at a local Chinese take away and ordered a slap
up dinner, which duly arrives in the tin foil take away tin and white
plastic bag. Off he hurries home, puts the bag down in the kitchen, flees
upstairs to go to the toilet. When he comes down drunk and happy (because
Barnsley won) and hungry, he dives into the plastic bag, unlids the tin
and stands mystified looking at a few bits and pieces of vegitables and
straw mushrooms and rice ! Right you bastards !! he thinks, diving to
the phone, "the box is empty, its bliddy ice cold who is taking the piss
?" So the take away man duly drives round with a new box, and takes away
the restaurant remains. OK ? No he's forgot to replace the rice. Back
on the phone ! Meantime the Chinese take away man has opened the box and
discovered this isn't one of his meals' so utter confusion and shouting
takes place "I don't care what shape you cut your carrots I bought it
at your shop" "No, not use straw mushrooms, not cut carrots long ways,
you rob me " Meantime the daughter hearing the racket comes down stairs,
and impervious to her requests to calm down and listen, she goes into
the kitchen and discovers his original box, complete with rice etc. "Er
was mine from the restaurant you sent back" er. "Well listen, there's
no point arguing on the phone, I'll just eat this, goodnight " A certain
shamefaced sober Barnsley fan owes some poor Chinese man an apology and
some sheckles !
NUM Official's Salaries
The latest analysis of Officials salaries has just been circulated. Arthur
ends up with �69,400 per year, which is nice.
Britain's poverty shame
Latest international data put Britain 23rd out of 25 'developed nations'
for child poverty relative to GNP, and also record Britain as amongst
the lowest and underfunded in the field of adult literacy. Two scores
which the papers don't seem to have been too keen to announce in the media.
The Fight for Justice for all Miners Sacked and Victimised
The AGM of the Justice For Mineworkers Campaign was held 24th June at
the Miners Offices, Barnsley. This is the campaigning group set up to
fight for justice for all the miners sacked and victimised following the
84/5 strike. Arthur Scargill is the guest speaker.
Helen Liddell Minister For Power is heading a 'consultative committee' to look into the issue of all the men sacked and blacklisted during the strike with a view to at least having their pensions reinstated. Victimised men and their families should write directly to Helen at the House Of Commons.
There is going to be a demonstration in support of the victimised men at the Durham Gala this year.