WHAT NEXT FOR THE MINERS?

Part two of a sta by the All Trades Alliance.

The vote by Britain's miners against national strike action to win their pay claim has to be understood in the context of events occurring at that time.

When the special TUC met on March 5, it was 'left'-wingers, Jones, Scanlon, and the Stalinists, who put forward the motion for a one-dalve protest on May 1. Only days earlier they had all voted to restrict the agenda to Feather's policy document and allow no motions even on protest or strike actions. Feather had spoken in Huddersfield on the Saturday before (March 3) the special TUC appealing Heath to modify the Industrial Relations Act and 'get round the table for talks once again'. But the rapid worsening of the economic crisis that same week, in which Heath visited Brandt and the world money markets closed, forced the Cabinet into crisis meetings the whole weekend and produced great nervousness in the trade union bureaucracy. A show of action was necessary. Jones and Scanlon provided the formula Gas workers and hospital workers were left isolated to be sold out by their leaders in Phase Two settlements. Scanlon, on the second day of the miners'. Perine renewal os statement offering talks with the government it they would make very slight modifications in the Industrial Relations Act. He also, like Gormley, went over to sup Common non Mariepation in the It was in this situation that the miners voted. Was it possible to see any prospect of the necessary unity to defeat the Tory enemy? Was it not clear that the 'left' had been led reluctantly to the point of a ballot? Had not the rUC confirmed its unwillingness to fight?

For many miners, therefore, the vote not to strike was vote of no confidence in the leadership of the NUM and The memory of 1926 dies Strike from the General Strike May until the autumn, the miners stayed out on their and went back whipped, star. ving and with their wages cut. The miners will avenge 1926, nothing is more certain, but for them in March 1973pened the road had not been But what comes next? This time, the miners have decided along the old-fashioned line of English trade union 'compromise' to take what they can get, not risk a long strike and loss of earnings, and see if they have a better time to fight later, if necessary.

Some things need to be said plainly. The struggle can be postponed only for a very say is anandoevery de's detionary price and rent increases will get worse because they come from the insoluble world economic crisis. The Tories, encouraged by the retreats of the union leaders, will press home the attack.

This means that the same basic financial problems which affect the miners affect the whole of the working class. All sections will be forced to fight. And all sections of workers will be forced up against TEI MONE ATUA GENERAL the questions faced by the miners.

The great questions raised by the ballot are the questions of leadership in the working class.

It is true that the trade union leaders cannot and will not lead a successful struggle its state machine. But this means that a leadership must be built which will lead such a struggle, a political leadership with the aim of defeating the Tory government and capitalism, not coilaborating with it.

RISES ILLEGAL No miner and no miner's wife can wash their hands of this problem. It was possible to 'answer' inflation in the past by trade union action, official or unofficial, to raise wages. But the Tory government has made this illegal.

The standards of living of our children and ourselves can no longer be protected except by a struggle to defeat the government. Capitalism in crisis can no longer provide the conditions for such wage increases and free trade unions That is the meaning of the government's Industrial Relations Act and counter-inflation laws. 500T NOTON AROMANION -ErA STaKE CRIES OUT GENEI STi CETO kers can find a solution to oresentst sys.

tem which it represents.

At every opportunity, the Tories will seek to turn the nationalized industries back to 'private enterprise'. Already outside contractors are employed in many NCB areas.

In the last six months the NCB has completed plans to 'hive off' assets worth £79m to two holding companies.

And everyone knows the investigation being carried out into allegations of 'overordering' to private companies from NCB areas, to the tune of tens of millions of pounds.

country needs coal supplies The capitalist class of this for a long time yet. But they want mines and • miners disciplined, speeded-up and comATUA STORIES ER.:.

IE STOLE. TORIE!

CUTUTTORES E OUT

stud TORIES: ES: ALUA OUT TORIES GENERAL TUA TORIES A WORNINFT, "AY - BOARDS" + INFLATION = -RATION TORIES "SUPPOR FER Socialist Labour League puts forward its policies on May Day this Above left: At the March 5, Special Congress of the TUC, the All Trades Unions Alliance mounted a lobby calling for a General Strike to force the Tories out. Right: Jones at the Special Congress. Along with Scanion and the Stalinists he put forward the diversion of a one-day 1x7 : pletely subordinated to a ruthsystem in mortal crisis which threatens the lives of all workers and their families.

The NUM and TUC leaders are 'co-operating' with these moves-and not only in Britain.

Gormley has insisted that the NUM collaborates in the Common Market institutions.

He has also made an agreement with the German Miners' Federation for only German and British coal to be supplied within the EEC.

Is the NUM to be a willing tool in all these Tory plans or will the miners take their rightful place in the struggle to get the government out?

What is to replace the Tory government? It must be a Labour government, but it will be completely different from the 1964-1970 administration, whose policies paved the way back for the Tories.

Because there is no solution such a socialist programme. We must undertake the task of building the alternative leadership to implement this programme.

When we call for a Labour government pledged to socialist policies, we do so to bring the whole working-class movement face to face with the need to throw out its treacherous leaders. They will be exposed by the fight to elect Labour government on socialist policies.

In every mining community, it is essential that this struggle is carried forward, not only in the NUM, but also in tenants' movements, and in support of all sections of the working class who come into struggle. The miners' wives who are confronted every week with the increasingly difficult task of making ends meet must be drawn into the discussion and into the and trades councils, shop stewards' committees, tenants' associations, unemployed committees, housewives' committees, and the political parties of the working class (Labour Party, SLL, Communist Party, International Socialists, International Marxist Group, etc.). Here united action can be planned to get the Tories out and fight for socialist policies.

Correct policies and the means to achieve them can be thrashed out; the solidarity and defence of all workers in struggle can be organized here.

Certainly the miners' ballot made it plain that we have entered a new situation, Trade union action, and militant strikes alone have reached a dead end. There will be many more strikes, even bigger than the ones we have seen, but industrial action alone cannot solve the political problem of the trade union reflection of the reformism of the Labour Party and the Stalinism of the Small groups like the International Socialists and the International Marxist Group have only tailed along behind the Stalinists and 'lefts'.

Only the SLL (with its trade union organization, the All Trades Unions Alliance, and its youth movement, the Young Socialists) has fought consistently for the TUC to call a General Strike to force the Tory government to resign.

Only the SLL warned and fought against the policies of the last Labour government to try and prevent them preparing the way for the return of the Tories.

Most important of all, only the SLL has prepared its members and supporters for the political struggle, and pointed out that eventually the restriction of the workers to trade the Marxist revolutionary party which the working class so urgently needs.

We call upon all miners and all workers to discuss with us the programme we have put forward in this pamphlet and in our draft policy for _transforming the Socialist Labour League. This is the most important preparation of all for the next stage of the miners' fight.

CONCLUDED TWO IMPORTANT FROM THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE 'Draft Perspectives for the Iransformation of the SLL into a Revolutionary Party? Price 5p. 'A Marxist Analysis Crisis? Price 5p.

A pamphlet containing articles:

The Development of Post-War Economic and Financial Crisis.' 'Karl Marx on Money and the Falling Rate of Profit.' Order from:

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