Report by John McKinlay
The Scottish TUC, after one of the most emotional debates in its long history, yesterday agreed to call a Scottish day of action in support of the miners.
The 580 delegates at the STUC annual conference in Aberdeen unanimously backed an appeal from Scottish miners’ president Mr Michael McGahey for action by other unions as well as financial support for the miners.
They approved an emergency resolution calling on the Labour and trade union movement for “various forms of action” throughout Scotland and an all-Scottish Day of Action at a date to be decided by the General Council of the STUC.
What form the action should take was not defined in the motion but a number of union leaders made it clear that they wanted an all-out stoppage on May Day – not May 7, which is an official public holiday, but May 1. Mr McGahey said it should be “all out” on the day of action.
The General Council of the STUC is expected to decide before the end of this week on a date. Some union officials, however, hope that a day of action across the United Kingdom can be organised.
In a highly charged atmosphere, Mr McGahey took conference by storm, receiving a standing ovation even before he started speaking, followed by another after a rousing speech.
Union officials queued at the rostrum anxious to voice their support amid stern warnings that defeat for the miners would be a blow for the labour movement.
The debate ended with delegates and about 100 miners in the public gallery standing applauding each other to chants of “here we go, here we go”.
Mr James Airlie, Scottish executive officer of the engineering union, appealed directly to the hearts of trade unionists when he said “if we have any pride, compassion, or solidarity, the miners will not be defeated, they will not be starved into submission – that is our movement’s responsibility”.
Mr Airlie claimed that government ministers were haunted by nightmares that if they conceded anything to the miners it would open the door to other workers and undermine the government’s strategy over the past five years.
Earlier, Mr McGahey said that Mr Ian MacGregor was appointed chairman of the NCB “to butcher the mining industry as he did British Steel and British Leyland”.
He added “I want to tell him the miners are not accepting the butchery of their industry.”
The miners were fighting on behalf of the whole trade union movement. If pitcs closed many workers would also lose jobs in the railways, the steel industry, and in manufacturing industry. The government had appointed a 72-year-old American septuagenarian to butcher the coal industry but the young miners were fighting not only for their future but the future of all young workers.
Mr John Walker, Scottish organiser of the railway union ASLEF said, every union should pledge to bring workers out on the day of action.
Mr Ken Cameron, the Fireman’s general sectary, called on left and right wing unions to realise the entire movement was involved in a class war. If the miners lost, everyone lost.
Mr Andrew Barr, East of Scotland organiser for the National union of Raiwlaymen warned the government against bringing in troops to move coal.
Roy Rogers writes: several NUM areas have still to decide how they will vote tomorrow but it looks as though the NUM national officials will get the two-thirds majority they need for the rule change. Even so there is no guarantee that NUM president Arthur Scargill will call an immediate ballot, and he may well suggest to delegates that they keep their powder dry at least for the time being.
Two Gloucestershire coke hauliers yesterday won a High Court injunction banning South Wales miners pickets from stopping coke lorries entering or leaving British Steel’s Port Talbot plant.
Failure to comply with the injunction would lay the South Wales NUM open to heavy fines in addition to damages which are already being sought by the two companies.
The National Coal Board has already been awarded a broadly similar injunction against the Yorkshire NUM but, despite flagrant defiance by Yorkshire miners, has so far been reluctant to return to court.
18.4.1984
OrneryJocko 