This is a capitalist crisis and the capitalist class can pay for it. I don't see why the miners or any other section of the working class should give up a penny for their crisis.' — ARTHUR SCARGILL, Yorkshire miners" leader class.
to the Labour Government's social between 28 and 35% per cent, the deal worked out with the National Coal Board is not as brilliant as the figures suggest.
miners were already receiving. The actual 'new moncy" increases are general underground workers and C11.60 for those at the face. DELEGATE MEETINGS across the-board increases voted for by Delegate meetings of miners in Yorkshire, Scotland and South Wales. And with infi ation running at an aanual rate of 20 per of wages in the deal. The NCB is only committed to future discussions on a threshold deal at an annamed date.
in the fields to productivity sebemes, beeand the consequent dangers of increased dust and mon accidents, the NUM Exerutive has acceptod one. Miners will be paid a national bonus for every million tons of coal produced above the current 115 million fons per year. Although the base figure set is relatively low, the accep tance in principle of productivity dealing will be used as the thin end of the wedge Last week the Executive of the National Union of Mineworkers voted by 16 to 10 to recommend acdeptance by its members of the improved Coal Board offer, which gives faceworkers £61, other underground work ers E47, and surface workers E41, In the following article MICK GOSLING looks at the deal and its importance for the miners and the whole working The proposed miners settlement has delivered another smashing blow contract. But despite giving rises of The increases include the consol adation into the basic rate of threshold payments of £4.40 a week which £4.60 for surface workers, E6.60 for working chess The clim falls far short of the 125 cent there is no protection of the real value talks.
Furthermore, despite deep opposition Nevertheless, miners in the fields will probably vote to accept the deal. They are aware that to launch a purely sectoral struggie for an even higher settlement ar the present time wowd& probably not win the massee working class support that previous miners" strikes have. Besides with coal stocks high after a very mild willer, over all-out strice action would take considemble time to bile.
Relatue to other sections of the working class the miners have done comporatmely wed in their recent secciements To win hroad support it is now necessary for the minces to ise their tremendous indusArcady we see other unions, particul arly the taiwaymen and power worken. attempting to follow the miners through the beeach in the social contract. Even that natorious right-winger Frank Chapple ocon torced to say: me snail want -no we shall insist on- exactly the same interpretation of the social contract." And next CONTRACT BREACHED After the sellement Yorkshire Miners" President. Arthur Scargill, commented:
that extent I welcome the advarices that have been made. ' Earlier he had argued: "This is a capital'st crisis and the capitalist class can pay forit. I don't see why the miner or any other section of the working class should pive up a penny for their crisis. Scarpili is dead right on both counts But we have to go further The social contract is based on the gig antic be that it only the powerful sections of the workers movement — like the miners socup tou wage restraint, then the weaker sections could be protected against in thutjog and the social services improved.
But not every group of workers has the contact ree miners coug protect me real value of their own increases and Jend a light of die entire working class agains the social contract by taking up the dem and ror automatic increases in wages to compensate for every pen enage ne in the cost of Living By fighting fors "ni-porn threshold the miners woald show what a workers" solution to inflation is and holp win this demand for the weaker sections of the cas acous gospital workers, wild are struggluse to defend the heath service apainst cutbacks in staff and conditions in the interests of the whole working class CLASS-WIDE FIGHT To achieve this, super militancy and appoils for solidarity oo the busis dut "miners do a rotten job and Jesee miore' are not enough. Although Scargill and Metahey both say the sergemen: Is n adequate and vie with cach other in their er has put forward a platform for a cianwide righr against the con-trick Such a position would have an electrif ying effeet on the whole workers' move ment and begin to pose the posability al a worker' alternative to the social contr act A decision by the miners to name a HENRIC CERTAINCINE STAKE CEON until the Shrewsbury pickets are releasod iron jail (several areas have already voted in support of'striku action) would have a smilar effect.
In the coming period such ability to break from the traditional sectoral practose a workers" solution to the crist will be vital if the capitalist offensive is to be rolled hack successfully For all these reasons it is up to ene British working class movement to Force the Labour Government to nationalise the whole oil industry under workers control, and demand that the oll be extracted in line with un integrated energy plan produced and enforced by the workers to meet their needs and not those of the oil companies and international Gay Teachers group has actively taken up the campaie, and the National Council of Civil Liberties and the National Union of Scudents ply rights cumpaign are also lendine John spoke at his old school, Holland Park Corprehensive, Last Friday and received unanimous supp ort. Holland Park teachers are now forwarding a motion to the West London Association condemning his Victinusation. As John said: Given the present hostility of the education authorities to gay teachers it's going to take a bell of a lot of people to change this decision Teachers who attended the defence committee meeting on 13 February will be making defence of the victimised teachers a cornerstone of the campaign to fight the April pay deul when a teachers conference called by the Wandsworth AssnciatIon of che NUT meets on Sunday 9 March. A picket to protest against the victi gisations has also been called for 4pm on Thursday 27 Februar at ILEA headquarters at County John Duveen anc Hi da Keen