Other News
These items appeared on our News Page earlier
Uproar On
the Left
Arthurs attempts to ban the Socialist Alliance
Rossington Colliery
Votes To Strike
Ballot results at Rossington show a massive vote for all out strike action
at the pit against attacks upon bonuses
Doncaster
Union Official Victimised
A local official of UNISON is currently suspended and under disciplinary
investigation.
Coals
Market Position Strengthens
A doubling of gas prices last year has led to a booming demand for coal
as electricity generators now seek the cheapest fuel.
The Position
At Rossington
By our correspondent
Enthusiasm,
pride and rain by the bucketful
Dave Douglass reports on this year's Durham Miners Gala
News
On Victimised Men By July 20th
We are told that the decision on what to do about the sacked / victimised
men....
The Mineworkers
Pension Scheme is moving.
The MPS has a new address
VIBRATION
WHITE FINGER
SERVICES ASSESSMENTS, A SCANDELOUS PROPOSAL
A sick society
Perhaps it might be ‘kinder’ to hang them. The media-inspired
hysteria around the imminent release of the James Bulger child-killers,
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, is chilling.
NCB Bosses frugal with
the truth
just like the former coal owners and current coal owners.
Dave Murdock
Defeats Union Leadership In The Courts.
The bitter dispute between David Murdock, the Doncaster Regional Secretary
of COSA and the National office over payment of his wages ended up recently
in the courts.
Dave Douglass Relives
The Orgeave Experience.
Artangel a cultural TV team have just completed a restaging of the Orgreave
battle.
Northumbrian Miners Gala,
Cancelled This Year
We deeply regret to say that the Northumbrian miners gala has now been
cancelled
Rossington
Colliery On Strike Again
We have no details but have heard that Rossington, one of the last two
surviving pits in the Doncaster coalfield has been out on strike again
in ongoing disputes over pay and conditions.
Dave Douglass
and Royce Turner to share platform
Dave Douglass and Royce Turner to speak at Anarchist Bookfare
King Arthur
Flops
Arthur Scargill gets just 996 votes in his election campaign against Mandelson
Miners Advice
Centre Under siege from Pit Women
Following the announcement of the successful outcome of the long running
Equal value claim for some former canteen staff and cleaners, the phones
have been red hot
Disgraceful
Scandal of Lawyer involved in VWF Compensation Scheme
A controversial misuse of miners compensation money has been linked to
a Yorkshire SOLICITOR.
RJB In The Black
Reports in this weeks news tell of RJB's financial health
Hatfield
/ Thorne Joint Development Plan
It seems the reason for Richard Budge’s departure was that he
couldn't implement his plan to buy Hatfield and open Thorne
Mark
Barnsley moved again
As part of the ongoing ill treatment of Mark Barnsley, a victim of
a blatant miscarriage of justice, he has been moved again.
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
News Items
Uproar On the Left
Firstly the CPGB is going daft over Arthurs call to the electoral supervisers
to ban the Socialist Alliance from having any TV time during elections,
the call also throws open an invitation to actually ban the Socialist
Alliance from its right to stand in a general election at all. Arthurs
objection, well other than the fact they are his opposition, is the fact
they are not a political party but an alliance.
Then the CPGB and its current paper Weekly Worker has caused uproar with
its current front page . A photo of our dead comrade,Carlo Giuliani shot
down by Italian police as he demonstrated in Genoa. The banner headline
reads "Learn The Lesson" and just what is the lesson ? Not to
be too violent on demonstrations because this 'provokes' the police into
attacking demonstrators. The nasty anarchists spoiled everyones peacefull
protest by attacking the police and causing them to shoot us. Needless
to say the anarchist left is not amused by the stuipid opinion that the
police need an excuse to attack demonstrators, or that we caused the death.
the full text can be read via the CPGB website www.cpgb.org.uk
which also has the full story on Arthurs attempts to ban the Socialist
Alliance.
Rossington Colliery Votes To Strike
Ballot results at Rossington show a massive vote for all out strike action
at the pit against attacks upon bonuses. The strike is expected to start
following the pit holidays which are currently taking place. An in depth
article on the situation at Rossington appears elsewhere on this website.
Doncaster Union Official Victimised
Many people may have heard of the case of Martin Warsama, a local official of UNISON, who is currently suspended and under disciplinary investigation. What was his crime ? He allegedly released "sensitive" information (that rings a bell !) to the press.
The real crime is being a militant and a thorn in the side of Doncaster council. Martin has the unanimous backing of his union and confidence of his members. A support number is 0877-703 510051.
Coals Market Position Strengthens
A doubling of gas prices last year has led to a booming demand for coal as electricity generators now seek the cheapest fuel. The proportion of coal burnt over gas has massively increased.
Although coal prices themselves have risen 50% it is still 50% cheaper than gas, and oil prices remain strong.
Dept Of Trade and Industry Advanced Energy Stats, report that for the first quarter of 2001 coal consumption rose by 17.4% against that of 3.6% for gas.
RJB has reportedly invested a further £52m to maintain and boost production albeit from existing collieries and faces. More men are being set on. (in 2000 RJB sold 22.2 million tonnes, 19.1M deep mined, 3.9 M opencast.)
However coal imports are still the major competitor in British markets, with 40 million tonnes imported from Russia, South Africa and Colombia mainly. About one third of the cost of imported coal is freight, and it will be rising freight prices which will make these imports increasingly less attractive.
Meantime the financial papers were reporting the non-news that Richard Budge was not trying to buy out the firm ! The Yorkshire Posts Business section reports " Mr Budge is thought to be keen to exploit RJB’s lack of clear management following the appointment of RJB non-executive chairman
John Robinson of Railtrack." ( Who is thought likely to resign from the company). Meantime the AGM of the Company approved plans to change the name from RJB Mining to UK Coal in a bid to remove Mr Budge’s initials from the company.
The Position At Rossington
By our correspondent
"Following last years industrial action one of the things we got out of it was the ability or platform to negotiate local bonus schemes at the pit instead of being imposed upon us. This however has never happened. After some threats partial agreement was reached on a face salvage bonus but nothing for this new face which was going to "El Dar ado" more like "El-Fiasco !".
Retreat mining is alien to this pit having been used to advance. So everybody's expectations have been laid low. Coupled with an imposed Sickness and Absence Procedure which includes 5 and 3 week bans on working overtime (something which UK Coal suggest is working "normal") when they feel like it. Well nobody felt like, so despite threats etc., The Procedure got changed- wonder of wonders ! With out impute. Its still not 100% by the way but its a step in the right direction- however the Bonus Question remained and festered despite warnings . Bearing in mind we are supposed to sort it out last year.
Patience was wearing thin-one development had been paid very well but even they were not treated correctly. The ball went over the wall when despite a breakdown shift we were just short of making some bonus (which would have paid the face £30 for the week. The men had had enough and walked out on Wed June 13th to 15 June.
This cannot be part of last years action otherwise we fall foul of the law. We stood a good chance of falling foul of the law anyway, an unofficial strike, we persuaded the lads to go back to get some talks going. However management wouldn't talk because they considered peoples failure to work overtime was failing to work normally. We pointed out that Senior Mining Director Galloway had stated "Overtime is and always will be voluntary". So we wasted a week there, by this time our mandate from the men was for strike ballot. Talks were held with a view that the ballot could be abandoned as it was as Stillingfleet. However the ballot started yesterday (9.7.2001) Result will be known at the Branch Meeting held on 22/7.2001.)
It will be reported on this web site when it comes through.
News On Victimised Men By July 20th
We are told that the decision on what to do about the sacked / victimised men will be made by July 20th. Reinstatement is now no longer applicable, but restoration of lost pension contributions is.
A pledge had been made at the labour Party conference in 1985 that there would be justice for our victimised men, so far they and their families are still waiting.
It is estimated some 300 men remained unemployed and workless and have been since their dismissals for actions during the strike that anyone of us could have been done for.
The Mineworkers Pension Scheme is moving.
It will no longer be at Queen Street Sheffield, in future it will be at
Sutherland House. Russell Way. Crawley. West Sussex. RH10 1UH. Tel 0845
606 4444
Fax 01293 604 145.
VIBRATION WHITE FINGER
SERVICES ASSESSMENTS, A SCANDELOUS PROPOSAL
IRISC The body which represents the NCB/ British Coal is currently working
on a scheme to assess the service calculations of the VWF claims. They
have taken on board a report by Dr Peter Dewis.
The most outrageous suggestion made by the good Dr is that BAMS (DSS medical assessors) Dr’s used in the assessment of Incapacity Benefits, Disablement Benefits and DLA be used to make these assessments. I need not remind anyone of the contempt such Drs are universally held in by the disabled. Some of the so called medical assessments made in the teeth of opposing medical histories and evidence are literally unbelievable.
We can see no justice for our members claims arising from use of such Dr’s. So far as we can tell nobody but us has picked up on this proposal. Apart from posting it on the website we have made our objections to Raleys and written to Arthur Scargill to see if those objections will be passed on to the powers that be to block the proposal. We suggestion every also write to Peter Hain, the Energy Minister, House Of Commons, Palace of Westminster, London. would express our opposition to best advantage, but I’m sure we should register a vote of no confidence in this specific proposal to IRISC among others.
A sick society
Perhaps it might be ‘kinder’ to hang them. The media-inspired
hysteria around the imminent release of the James Bulger child-killers,
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, is chilling. What type of lives can
these two young men look forward to when they are ‘freed’? They
will live every day in constant torment, terrified by the threat of exposure
and bloody retribution at the hands of some mob or a foam-flecked individual
vigilante.
Just as there is special poignancy in the death of a child, there is a unique sense of loss in seeing these two young lives bent out of shape so terribly. James Bulger died a horrible death, no doubt made more terrifying to him by an inability to understand what was being done or why. Any human being will feel a jolt of pain for that poor, tortured and utterly bewildered child.
Bulger died horribly, Venables and Thompson have lived horribly. First as barely literate ‘scallies’, as deeply scarred products of dysfunctional and abusive homes. Then as institutionalised ‘monsters’ for eight years, aware that they were demonised by the outside world. Now they face release and the prospect of being remorselessly hunted down by the tabloids, with a baying pack of vengeful thugs in their wake.
This tells us something truly frightening about contemporary British society. Take, for example, Denise Fergus, James Bulger’s mother. Here is a woman who has not been allowed to emotionally ‘heal’ over the last eight years - she admits she is still “consumed with hatred and anger and fear” (Daily Mail June 25). Her home remains a shrine to the memory of James, her new children subject to paranoid restrictions on their movements - a “protective terror” that is apparently “understandable”, emotes Lynda Lee-Potter (ibid).
The media has made this woman a walking wound, a victim unable to reconcile herself with the past. Disgustingly, hacks such as Potter are willing to give this poor, half-demented woman a national platform for views on criminality and justice akin to the Talibans’:
“They were evil and they are still evil, which is why I am so worried. They have got a taste for blood and I just feel terribly sorry for their next victim.”
“I think they’ll both find a friend and they’ll corrupt them and lead them down the same path so we’ll end up with four killers at large”.
“I know they’ll go back to the railway line where they tortured James. I know they’ll go to the graveyard where he’s buried. Once a murderer, always a murderer, and they’ll need to go back to the scene of their crime” (ibid).
This is incoherent ranting - nothing more. We must be desperately sorry for this woman and her loss. But it is distasteful to read these words being presented as ‘legitimate’ comment in a national newspaper. This is someone driven half-mad by the scavenging media pack that gathered around James Bulger’s still warm corpse. Denise Fergus today is a product less of that horrific act of eight years ago: more of the despicable media feeding frenzy that descended on her and continues to exploit her grief to this day.
Even more frightening is the resonance her words seem to have with wide swathes of our society. Unable to comprehend the social causes of the deviant behaviour displayed by Venables and Thompson, millions of people attribute their act to some innate ‘evil’. The foreman in the original trial was Alan Barry, a church warden. His considered view is that, “Thompson … out of the two was more evil … [Thompson] stared at me with a sinful smirk which made him look like the character Damien from The Omen” (Daily Express June 27).
Frankly, in a rational society such alarming, superstitious mumbo-jumbo would disqualify Mr Barry’s opinions from any serious consideration. He possibly might have made a useful member of the 16th century Council of Trent, but nothing much later historically. Yet the Express considers his views worthy of prominence.
Unfortunately, these sort of irrational prejudices are common. Masses of people do not look to the nature of our society to explain crime and cruelty. Instead, malign individuals are blamed, those that somehow were born ‘evil’. Society’s contradictions are projected onto an external, alienated entity - evil - that visits horror on our otherwise ‘normal’, harmonious society through the agency of ‘monsters’ such as Venables and Thompson. We have a society that is unable to look at the truth about itself, unable to understand how it - not Satan or video nasties - is able to produce children capable of such deeds.
Our society has become more fractured and atomised since the late 1970s and early 80s. This is a product of the period of political reaction ushered in by our class’s defeats, domestically and internationally. With the supposed final triumph of capitalism over its ideological enemies, not only ‘official communism’ but, more to the point, trade union solidarity, society has lost much cohesion, become more irrational. Venables and Thompson were typical of new class of semi-Dickensian ‘street urchins’ that re-appeared on the streets of our major cities, mitching off school, doing a little casual pilfering from local shops and generally causing a mini-mayhem. In that sense, they are metaphors for the social decay and dislocation visited on our society by the class war general Thatcher and her project of inflicting a strategic defeat on our class.
Communists believe that human beings - all human beings - are redeemable. Clearly, with care, with specialised and intensive education these two appear to have flourished academically. They are now for certain qualitatively different people. Here is a lesson on how to retrieve the potential in even deeply flawed humans.
Beyond that, what if all our children - including the pre-murder Thompson and Venables - were given sufficient resources and time to develop their full potentials as rounded humans? When the likes of David Mellor rail against the “cushy life” these two have apparently had by dint of the fact they have been decently educated and cared for, he actually expresses his profound contempt for all humanity (Sunday People June 24).
They are bound to be outed. A Whitehall source has confirmed that some of the details that have already appeared in the press “can only have come from people closely involved with the case” (Evening Standard June 25). We may see a re-run of the scenes of protest and violence prompted by the News of the World’s recent anti-paedophile campaign. If we do, we must be clear that these are not authentic expressions of working class anger and cohesion. They are the actions of atomised people, cohered into a reactionary mob, expressing blind, snarling hatred against a society that seems out of control.
What has that to do with working class politics?
Yet - incredibly - groups such as Red Action and the Socialist Party attempted to tinge these anti-paedophile protests ‘red’, to suggest they had some sort of progressive potential. We should be clear - they are reminders of the deep, as yet untapped, reservoir of reaction in contemporary society.
They are the opposite of the politics of the working class, whatever their sociological composition.
Mark Fischer
This piece of editorial was printed in The Weekly Worker
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/index.html
NCB Bosses frugal with the truth, just like the former coal owners and current coal owners.
Alex Simpson can tell you all about that. He recently wrote to describe the 44 years of injustice he has suffered, and continues to suffer, despite the fact that he thinks he can see a chink of light at the end of that very lang tunnel.
Working as a hewer on a conventional face, supported by straps and props, he was involved in a roof fall, which caused the bar and the prop to hit him, crushing his skull and leaving him in a coma. When he recovered and attempted to claim against the NCB he was met by a determined cover up.
The M&Q Act says there must be an adequate supply of timber ( meaning any roof support in use ) to set supports to the plan and set additional timber if the miner or deputy deemed it necessary. Of course we all know the mad rush for production at the face meant timber supplies were the poor relation. If timber wasn't salvaged it was often in short supply or damaged.
This had been the case with Alex, working the six foot west, at East Wemyss. The strap his marra had set was bent from previous weighting on the face, it ought to have been either scrapped or sent out of the pit for straightening. Because there was no other to take its place however, it was used for want of anything better. The M&Q Act says in such circumstances the deputy should withdraw the men to a place of safety off the face until adequate supplies of timber arrive. Such an action would stop production so of course it wasn't done, and Alex’s marra set the only strap available, bend an all. The bend in the end of the strap meant only one support could be brayed under instead of the usual two required by the support plan.
When the coal broke away it swept the support out, the strap knocking off his helmet the steel prop smashing his skull. There were clearly breaches of the M&Q Act as illustrated above. However when the claim went to court, witnesses lied and said there had been two props set under the strap and the law had been complied with.
Alex has fought on alone for 44 years to find some redress for this injustice and suddenly the birds came home to roost. After pestering the new government administration (the DTI) now handling the NCB / BCC’s liabilities, they looked again into Alex’s case. Low and behold, they discovered the original accident report book (which had not been given to Alex’s representatives at the time) which proved only one prop had been under the strap. Has this have been produced at the time, his case would have won.
Even more of a welcome surprise one of the NCB's lying witnesses has now owned up to lying to court. Not that Alex hasnt tried to show him the error of his ways a time -a twe before.
Alex despite the injuries isn't a man to cross. He was consumed with anger and indignation. He carried out a series of attacks upon the men who had lied in court and conspired to do the bosses dirty work. Alex has asked us to name the men involved, but that might not help his case at so critical a juncture . Suffice it say, following the first court case which he had of course lost, he went to have a drink in a nearby bar. Two of the men who had testified against him, well actually committed perjury, came into the same bar and were having a good laugh. He locked them in the ballroom and kicked f.....out of them. He walked out and down to the rail station for his train home. Well it wasn't Alex’s day, but it certainly wasn't the stiffs either. Who should get on the same train and in the carriage ? He battered them again and threw one out of the train . He admits for a time he was close to contemplating killing them. "David often when I think of the trouble, lies and other various things I feel I would like to kill the men who lied, for six months I was running around with a double barrel shotgun in the boot of my car and was determined to shoot all three of them, but I had my two sons to think about and the memory of my dear wife..." As it was there was many more beatings to endure on the way to justice, Alex was hoping he’d end up in court and could get them in the dock and expose them for liars but nobody would play ball. Alex funded all his court costs by actually becoming a part time boat builder, building boats and selling them on. He’s obviously some bloke !
Solicitors now think he may be able at last to get the compensation plus interest which has been denied 44 years. We are not sure if this action is being pursued by the NUM in Scotland or not, but one would have thought it should be. We wish Alex every speedy success with this case, and hope he will keep us informed of the outcome. Alex for his part says "I must thank you for putting my story on your web site. It was good to read it."
Meantime Alex applied to the DSS for a VWF claim..you guessed it, they turned him down as did the appeal. Nowt changes does it ? One step forward, one step back.
Dave Murdock Defeats Union Leadership In The Courts.
The bitter dispute between David Murdock, the Doncaster Regional Secretary of COSA and the National office over payment of his wages ended up recently in the courts. Apparently the NEC were told that the view of the National President that they did not owe Davie his wages was not upheld and they have been forced to pay out thousands in back money. The dispute had become very bitter indeed and some have said recent bad press publicity about Dave and his office and members of his family was a back door campaign to discredit him. We cannot comment upon the accuracy or otherwise of such a view. We are seeking to obtain an exclusive interview with Dave for the web site to explain the whole thing which has been surrounded in mystery, innuendo and half truths.
Dave Douglass Relives The Orgeave Experience.
Artangel a cultural TV team have just completed a restaging of the Orgreave battle.
Apparently their view was that this major event was given very little publicity at the time, and not enough film footage was taken to record it for posterity. There idea was to do a documentary type re-stage of the whole event, looking to the politics behind it and the strategies on each side of the conflict. To do this they brought together an army of historic restagers, the folk that dress up in period costumes and restage battles. So along with former miners and a few former policemen (who were not identified) we had roman soldiers, Vikings, royalists, Cromwellians and American independanceists. Once they were all garbed up in riot shields, clubs and uniforms however they became the hated filth. More than once, shooting of the film was stopped to remind the miners that these were actors and not real policemen and we shouldn't be knocking them about quite so hard. Real blood was drawn on occasion, mainly as a result of former miners head butting police wearing riot helmets or running into lampposts when chased by frothing horses who of course had difficulty reading the script and didn't know they were acting. The overall effect of the restage battle was dynamic and the crowds that turned up to watch on the Sunday got quite enthralled, with some people in tears ,kids crying in fear and most of the crowd joining in the miners chants. Nice ending came when the real police stupidly parked a transit van full of real police in the road where we were rioting ! Of course we did ! Much to the terror of the van inhabitants who stopped laughing at the re-enactment and began to realise the thunder of banging and kicking of their van was a prelude to trying to tip it over. Unfortunately the film makers desperately corrected our case of mistaken identity. We were paid considerably more for the acting than the £1 per day and bag of sandwiches we got for doing the real thing. Good laugh, good training, and money in the poke to boot. It comes out in October we believe.
Northumbrian Miners Gala, Cancelled This Year
We deeply regret to say that the Northumbrian miners gala, which was held over from June and had been going to staged with added features in July has now been cancelled owing to the foot and mouth panic. We have suggested to Ian Lavery the Northumbrian miners president that they stage it next year in Newcastle itself, where it will attract far more crowds and publicity. Not to worry though The Durham Miners Gala is still going ahead full pelt 14 July, in Durham City from around 9 am
Watch out for the Class War stall in the main speakers field, come and give us a hand.
Rossington Colliery On Strike Again
We have no details but have heard that Rossington, one of the last two surviving pits in the Doncaster coalfield has been out on strike again in ongoing disputes over pay and conditions. There has been considerable unrest at Rossington for some time and this was a feature of an in depth interview with the Rossington Branch Officials on the web site. We are hoping to get another interview to bring us back up to date again. Meantime we extend our sincere solidarity to the Rossington men for refusing to bend the knee and keeping militant coal mining unionism alive.
Dave Douglass and Royce Turner to share platform
Dave Douglass and Royce Turner, whose book Coal Was Our Life is reviewed elsewhere on this site are to share a platform at the Anarchist Bookfare in London on 20th Oct. They will be speaking on the post strike situation in the pits and life in the former coal communities now.
King Arthur Flops
Doubtless he'l put some spin on it, but 996 votes running against a character like Mandelson with all that is associated with his recent past, is hardly a good performance is it ? We are awaiting an in-depth analysis of how the Socialist Alliance candidates did and the SLP. If Dunscroft is owt to go by the latter will not have done very well, We had no idea they had a candidate untill someone who voted said, there was a SLP candidate on the ballot paper, and he'd voted for him rather than spoil the paper as he was going to do. Not a single leaflet, had been delivered. Not a single poster put up, not a single visit was staged. We wonder if the candidate knew he was actually standing. This wouldnt be as daft as it sounds since people were just phoned by Arthur and told they had to run, no selection meetings, or anything like that. Not surprising really since something of the order of 50% of the SLP's membership actually stood as candidates! God knows how they got the money together, but there obviously wasnt enough left to run an actual campaign or get round canvasing. Ee whey, we'll await the Weekly Workers painstaking analysis of the figures.
Miners Advice Centre Under siege from Pit Women
Following the announcement of the successful outcome of the long running
Equal value claim for some former canteen staff and cleaners, the phones
have been red hot ,the emails flying and a big party of women picketed
the NUM Miners Advice Centre. It was quite like the good old days, an
impromptu open air meeting was held, and just like the ones we used to
have great dissent among the crowd greeted the Union official.
So what's the problem ? The settlement worth up £30,000 is roughly £1000 for every year of service because the women had been discriminating against and not paid for work of Equal value. Incidentally we had at least one enquiry from a bloke who thought he should have a payment as well, because....other people on the surface were paid more than him and he worked just as hard as them ! Hmm, interesting point, but irrelevant to this case which was taken originally as a Sex discrimination claim and then when that started to encounter difficulties became an Equal Value claim. In the end some 1300 case were taken to the end of the line and the Court Of Appeal agreed with the Union. Instructing both parties to reach a mutually satisfying conclusion in terms of compensation payments. The NCB's agents offered silly money, which the NUM rejected.
The UDM accepted £1500 across the board. They then offered us the same which we rejected as unreal. They next approached the women involved directly and urged them to accept the £1500 as there would be no more money offered. We urged the women to stick behind the Union and reject the offer. Most did although some gave way and accepted to £1500 as the best they were going to get. The NUM of course was under no obligation to accept these derisory terms and having reached deadlock was prepared to go back to the court and suggest that the NCB’s agents where in contempt. The daft thing was, the case having run on so long meant the women owed a good part of the £1500 in back Limited Membership subs, the NCB agents offered to pay the Union’s costs and subscriptions and this actually totalled more than the money they were prepared to pay the women involved. We resisted the poisoned chalice and dug our heels in.
A NEW BROOM, finally along comes a new Energy Minister, Mr Hain, he is perhaps shocked at the number of outstanding injustices still remaining around the devested pit communities, the Chronic Bronchitis scandal, the ongoing Vibration White Finger saga, and of course the Equal Value Claim not to mention the smash and grab raids on our Miners Pension surpluses. For the first time we actually where able to negotiate across the board on a whole range of issues with a man who seems to be listening. The result we know, a settlement somewhat better than the £1500, indeed the lowest settlement is double that and the best ones ten times the figure .Mr Scargill can only be heartily congratulated in his stubborn efforts and resolve not to give way on this issue and a point both of principle and practical Trade Unionism.
However this does not put the matter to bed as implied by many of the local papers and MP’s. It leaves the question of all those many thousands of women, who also worked during this period, who also paid their NUM subscriptions, and who also were discriminated against and paid unequal wages, out in the cold. Mr Hain trying to be seen to be fair having agreed to make up the payments of all those women who had accepted the low sum and all the UDM members, set a precedent. He had argued that despite the fact there was no legal obligation to upgrade the payments, there was a moral imperative to do so. Fine, then there now remains that same imperative for all those women equally discriminated against who have been offered nothing at all.
Since the drafting of the first set of cases a dramatic change in the law has occurred and one which was aimed quite deliberately at stopping any mass case such as this ever coming forward again. Even a huge Union could not stand the costs of the Equal Value , the Chronic Bronchitis and VWF cases without the assistance of Legal Aid funding to pay the massive costs involved. Mr Blares government has now abolished the right to Legal Aid in personal injury and other claims such as this. This means the NUM even suppose it was still large and well funded could never raise the money necessary to make a new challenge on behalf of all those women left out in the cold. So the question will come down to those women exerting mass political pressure in order to get justice. They may need to start thinking of organising a Justice For Pit Women Campaign and confronting the politicians with their case.
The first thing to do is to register yourself as a women likely to have a claim, the women should write to Danny O Conner, NUM Offices, Miners Offices, Huddersfield Road, Barnsley, who is collecting a file of all those who think they are affected in order to quantify the problem. The other thing to do is to write NOW to Peter Hain, Secretary Of State for Energy, House of Commons, Palace of Westminster, London, and tell him loud and clear why you think you deserve justice too. It may be a yet longer road we have to go down, before we can truly claim to have redressed this injustice.
Meantime I am available for help and advice on this and any other problem related to the coal industry and pit communities, you can contact me on 01302 841 365, or at the Mining Communities Advice Centre, Emerson Ave., Stainforth, Doncaster.
David Douglass
This "Advertorial" was printed in "The A List" in The Mirror, March 23-29, 2001
Disgraceful Scandal of Lawyer involved in VWF Compensation Scheme
A controversial misuse of miners compensation money has been linked to
a Yorkshire SOLICITOR
Russell Young was sent a steady flow of clients from the Yorkshire Compensation
Recovery Service and he profited from their business.Disabled ex-miners
consulted his firm about their compensation claims at his office above
the YCRS headquarters in Doncaster.
The solicitors professional watchdog call him 'one of the worst villains
of the solicitors world'
What did emerge in fact was that Mr Young was struck off the roll of solicitors
for malpractice in 1999.
He was in the top 10 complaints leagueof solicitors in England and Wales.
He now faces streams of claims from ex-miners who say he settled their
claims at a fraction of the true value.
YCRS charged a fee for handling disability benefits and any compensation
claims were referred to Russel Young.
The help miners received from YCRS could have been provided from any advice
centre. Now the NUM's official solicitors have taken on a number of claims
of negligence against Russel Young. They say that claims for Vibration
White Finger which had previously been handled by Russel young's firm
were settled for many thousands of pounds below the amounts approved by
the Government backed handling scheme.
Mr Young was formally struck off in November 1999 after the Office for
the Supervision of Solicitors found that he had kept clints funds in the
office bank account and failed to file accounants reports for two years
in 1997 and 1998.
He is now believed to be living in Spain.
Raley Solicitors urge any miner who believes they have received too little
compensation to contact them, they are preparing to take legal action
where payouts are seen to be too low.
Raleys have presently been instructed by over 50 ex-miners who believe
that their claims for VWF were undersettled.
The majority of those involved claims settled by Russell young solicitors.
One of their clients was a man who was assessed by a medical expert as
being stage 3 VWF. His claim was registered when he was 51 years of age
and the figure for his personal injury (pain and suffering) should have
been over £9,700. He also had a potential claim for loss of earnings
which was not investigated by Russell Young. Based on Russell Young's
advice he accepted a total of £2,224 so that he has lost a minimum
of £7,400.
Once a claim has been settled against British Coal Corporation it is not
possible to make a further claim against British Coal Corporation. His
remedy now is to persue a claim for negligence against Russell Young and
if successful, the claim will be paid out by the Solicitors Indemnity
Fund.
Details for contacting Raleys Solicitors can be found on the Miners Advice Contacts Page.
RJB In The Black
Several reports have appeared this week informing us of the change of
fortunes regarding the financial state of RJB Mining.
The Harworth - Doncaster based firm reported a net loss of £130
million in 1999. This year they have announced a pre-tax profit of £17
million.
The reason for this sudden turn around is stated as being thanks to increased
demand for coal and the rise in gas prices.
The £70 million the firm received in Government aid will also help
to make the future look healthy.
Mr John Robinson, Chairman of RJB has said that some of the firm's land
and property, valued at around £124 million could be developed or
sold off.
Hatfield / Thorne Joint Development Plan
It seems the reason for Richard Budge’s departure was that he couldn't
implement his plan to buy Hatfield and open Thorne running them as a joint
complex as they were under British Coal.
We had urged him to do this when both pits were up for sale, but he couldn't see the long term strategy for the short term profit account. Now with subsidies in line there is no problem for such a long overdue scheme, except it seems there is. The Board doesn't agree to the investment and wants money spent on dividends for share holders not development. Some have speculated the Government could freeze the grants if they are not spent to maintain the coal industry. Richard it seems has left in the huff because he cant run the company the way he sees fit, it has been suggested.
The plan then, is sort of non-news, it exists but at present it aint gaana happen. It is predicted the whole of the Selby coalfield will finish in just three years time ! That is of course if we let things just happen. Overall the coal industry like every other industry ought to be under the direct control of the workers who work in them and the consumers who use them, but does anyone think Tory Blair would even have such an idea as his wildest nightmare ?
Mark Barnsley moved again
As part of the ongoing ill treatment of Mark Barnsley, a victim of a blatant miscarriage of justice, he has been moved again. It is part of a shameful catalogue of harassment which he has suffered because he refuses to give into the prison system which has banged up an innocent man and demands from him he accept guilt . 17 January he was again put into segregation at HMP Frankland , Durham. He was accused of fomenting unrest on the wing, although the prison has failed to come up with a single example or incident. Feb. 1st after 2 weeks in segregation he is bundled away at 5-30 am in the morning to HMP Wakefield. THIS IS MARKS 20TH PRISON MOVE. Wakefield is a high security prison and one which houses serious sex offenders, Mark is inside in the first place for defending himself his wife and child from an attack by a gang of drunks, he has three children . One wonders if this isn't yet another attempt to set him up. On arrival in Wakefield he was kept in a dungeon like unheated segregation cell with only one blanket, for a further 2 weeks, during which time the temperature fell to below zero and rendered sleep impossible. He was denied hot drinks or shower facilities. Much of his mail is withheld. Surprise surprise when told he was going onto one of the wings it was to be with a dorm of sex offenders. He refused the provocation, and as a consequence was placed in a single cell, which is again unheated and had previously been condemned as unfit for use.
WE CALL ON ALL OUR READERS TO WRITE TO MARTIN NAREY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF PRISONS PRISON SERVICE HQ. CLELAND HOUSE PAGE STREET. LONDON SWT 4lN. AND TO THE HOME SECRETARY DEMANDING A STOP TO THE ILL TREATMENT AND FOR FREEDOM FOR MARK BARNSLEY, victimised brutalised imprisoned for defending himself and his family against physical attack. (Mark is a Left Wing Political activist known to the authorities, we believe this treatment is politically motivated and victimisation of the worse sort,).