Yorks. strike

WORK has been brought to a standstill at 74 out Yorkshire coalfield's 75 pits by the strike of i miners against the National Coal Board's refusal to colliery surfacemen an eight-hour day.

It is already being described as the biggest pit strike since 1926.

espite warnings that 'un fficial action will solve noth ing' from Sir Sidney Ford, National Union of Mineworkers' president, the strike has gathered strength since it began on Monday.

Some Derbyshire pits were expected to join it yesterday.

Angry ALL OVER the United States, Mr Sam Bullough, president huge numbers of youth will of the NUM's Yorkshire area, demonstrate today against the said on Monday night: war in Vietnam.

"The men are very angry and I can see no break in the and Negro youth have been strike !' fighting police non-stop for In South Wales, delegates four days in a series of milirepresenting the coalfield's tant demonstrations against 42,000 miners were meeting at Porthcawl yesterday to dis- perialist policies in Asia and cuss action over the same Latin America. issue.

Several lodges in the area have been pressing for a strike.

Top NUM. 'lefts', meanwhile, maintain a stony silence.

Many Yorkshire strikers remain convinced that their area withdrawal'.

executive issued its threats of strike action in order to channel support away • from the three - and - a - half-week-old South Yorkshire strike in suport of pay demands by maretmen at Cadeby Main colliery.

Action

But, when the NCB refused to make any concession to the surfacemen, threats had to be transformed into action.

Surfacemen at present work eight hours 35 minutes, including mealbreaks. The NCB has offered to cut this to eight hours, excluding mealbreaks.

This non-offer is regarded by the men, who want eight hours inclusive of mealbreaks, as an insult.

Far from putting out the fire with his remarks at the NUM's Rhyl weekend school, Lord Robens appears to have fanned the flames.

Using his discussions with NUM general secretary Mr Lawrence Daly — also at the school-to attack the strike, Robens said the Board coulc not 'negotiate these matters in two different places at one and the same time'.

He claimed the unofficial action would have no effect on the negotiations.

Explain

Messrs. Daly, Ford and their friends, in other words, are more important than 80,000 miners.

There can be no sitting on the fence here.

The NUM executive, and articularly the 'left'-talking Mr Daly, owe miners some ex planations.

Are they going to repudiate Ford's statement, back the strike and call for united action in the Yorkshire, Derbyshire and South Wales coalfields, or are they going to try work end the miners back to Some answers, please!

Trades Union Alliance conference Moroll car, car components delivery are invited to a motor workers' conference Digbeth Civic Hall, Digbeth Birmingham aturday November i 2 p.m. to 7 p.ra. Write for credentials to:

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