'We're treated like muck'-Welsh miners

Blaenserchan miners meeting to discuss their committee's proposals EIGHTEEN Welsh miners are in the throes of a uniquely bitter fight-as they were preparing to enter the national pit stoppage they were all sacked.

The men work for the Blaenserchan pit, at Pontypool in South Wales.

They say that Tory-backed Coal Board officials are taking advantage of their past willingness to bend over backwards to keep pits open.

Conditions have deteriorated as work has been speeded up, traditional rights swept aside and wages slashed at the pithead.

Despite repeated protests, the miners and their lodge officials claim that the National Union of Minety scare fails - most dangerous • оссираtions; the accident and death rate in the pits is higher than • in most other Provisional figures for 1971 show that 69 men were killed and 639 seriously injured.

The statistics also show that the rate of pit accidents has been more or less constant over the past few years.

The campaign by the capitalist press has been ably assisted by none other than Joe Gormley, president of the National Union of Mineworkers.

He gave the Tory guns ipyard jobs cut The sacked men will have to wait many weeks before there is even a chance of reemployment. Swan Hunter handed over two ships last month, to be followed by three more this month. The next major outfitting work is not due until the spring. workers has turned a blind eye to what's going on.

'We've had ten walk-outs at this pit in a year, lodge chairman Ted Priddle told me at a meeting with about 40 of the miners.

'After the last dispute we agreed to have representatives from the National Coal Board, management and the union on 24-hour call. But last week when I approached the NUM agent, Bryn Jenkins, about his promise, he shunned it.' Trouble flared last Wednesday after 24 power loaders were told their work was not satisfactory and that from then on they would be on the minimum rates. Amounts of to f6 were taken from their pay packets.

'We had a meeting at the pit top,' said Jim Smith, who has spent most of his 42 years as a miner at Blaenserchan.

'They've tried repeatedly to put us on the day wage and we've done éverything we know to stop them. We decided to stage the stay-down strike to highlight what was going on.

in coalfields all the ammunition they needed when he asked striking safety workers to return to work.

I want to impress on members that there is little sense in being involved in a conflict if there is no work to get back to.

This scare language from the union president will not influence the determination of the miners to fight the Tories' wages policy.

Already safety men have stopped work at all but 46 of the country's 298 pits. In the next few days the rest will come out-to make the strike 100 per cent.

n Tyne Tyneside repair yards desperate.

The Wallsend Slipwa Co repair section has har no ships since before Chris nas. The repair men are on aintenance work.

See "6,000 jobs cut, 'We were below ground soaking wet for about 17 hours and food and drink was sent to us by the lodge committee.

'When we came up we were given notices informing us that we had broken our contract by staying down the pit.' Most of the 18 are in their forties and with local unemployment running at more than per cent there is next to no chance of any of them finding other work.

The men's anger is aimed at area manager Vivian Luther who they say has closed al ut five of the 17 pits unde his control.

Said Mr Smith, "The board must be at the back of this man. We've been provoked into industrial action and then they put the blame on us and say the pits will have to close. It's their policy to shut pits.' Until now what has most needled the miners is the absence of consultation between themselves and management.

ARDUOUS

"They treat us worse than dogs,' said Mr Smith. "They've no respect for anyone.' Ted Priddle told me, 'NCB officials go down the pit and say the work is bad, accuse men of getting wet deliberately, even though they're working in four feet of water. Then they try to put us on the minimum wage.

"There was a man of 61 working in a three-foot high area packing waste. It was very arduous for a man of that age.

It was suggested that his pack was lighter than should be and before the man could give an explanation he was told he was on the day wage for the rest of his time at the pit.

"That man had given 50 years of service. They think of the men as pieces of muck.' with NUM silence in the face The miners disgusted of vicious attacks from the "This is a democratic union,' said Ron Munn. 'We've got the right to criticize our own people. Our backs are right up against the wall now and we've got to make every effort to highlight this.

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