Closure talk will only strengthen us

den WEATHER A MASS meeting of Lucas Industrial Equipment strikers yesterday unanimously reiterated the three demands for which they came out nine weeks ago.

They will meet again next Friday, after negotiations at national level.

The three points are: upholding of mutual agreement on piecework prices; payment of average earnings until price is mutually agreed; when a worker refuses to work on the management's offered value, the company Will not take disciplinary action. THE day Moncktonhall colliery was nationalized the miners ran up a flag on the pit top saying 'The mines belong to the people'.

That was years ago. Today five miles away in the little Midlothian village of Loanhead, the men remember the day with a bitter smile.

Behind the bitterness lie statistics that tell their own tale.

Scotland had 187 pits in 1947, in 1960 there were 133 and now there are 34 On vesting day the coalfield employed 81.000 men. Ten years later there 72,000, now there are 30,000 For men like Donald MacKenzie — 40 years down the pit and one of the 1,700 who work underground at Moncktonhall nationalization has been one long essay in disillusionment.

DRIVE UP

He has helped productivity the Scottis! field from cwt per man in 1947, 1960 an level of 40 Donald is 'brusher': a shi away the accumulates behind the mechanical cutters thi He is one of the many has brought benefit. To him, it harder and are as when over millions in to the owners.

the with debt burdens into the bargain to and is down governmood the one of vis Yorkshire and POUR OUT In the mining clubs of Fife, the Lothians and Ayrshire, and on the picket lines, the young colliers mix with the older men who pour out the stories from the past, of the 1920s and 1930s.

Already Edward Heath has replaced Winston Churchill as the most hated man in their Despite unclear instructions from most top union officials (the locomen's union ASLEF being an honourable exception here), other workers have responded with magnificent solidarity.

Railwaymen are refusing to drive coal stocks, the dockers at Grangemouth will not handle any coal imports and drivers in the Transport and General Workers' Union have said they are on strike as far as coal shipments are concerned.

There is already talk at the power stations of imposing a work-to-rule to back the miners—a feeling encouraged by the fact that the power men have their own claim in Stalinists pine for de Gaulle leading spokesman of the French Communist Party, has attacked the Pompidou government for abandoning what he calls 'the positive aspects of the policy of General de Gaulle' was support for de Gaulle's foreign policy which accounted for the Communist Party's attitude in May, 1968, when it opposed the student movement and sought to confine the General Strike to narrow trade union demands.

The late president's hostility towards American domination of Europe, his break with NATO and his policy of rapprochement with E Europe, the Soviet Union and China was greatly appreciated by the French Stalinists.

These policies also made de Gaulle a favourite both of Moscow and Peking. At his funeral probably the largest wreath of all came from the Chinese.

That Marchais should now contrast de Gaulle's policy favourably with that of Pompidou is significant.

He appeals to those who look back to the days when de Gaulle was -alive with nostalgia.

It is intended to win away support from Pompidou by claiming that his foreign policy is a betrayal of true Gaullism. for a pay rise. Scottish powerstation delegates went to yesterday's London conference feeling particular affinity with the miners after their years of savage cuts in manning and a steep increase in productivity.

Duncan Foggo, a 25-yearold electrician, is a member of the Moncktonhall strike strike liaison committee for his craft. He says that the only way to build a fighting unity would be for workers like the engineers to strike over their pay claim.

"The miners can't bring the government. down on their own, but the truth is that every worker in this country YORKSHIRE Coke is stopped despite GRIMETHORPE miners near Barnsley have become the objects of an enormous witch-hunt by the local Tory press and television companies.

Their action on picket lines against scab lorry drivers has been distorted by reporters and film edited to show a one-sided picture.

Then their anger boiled over; cameramen were chased away by angry pickets at the pit gates and reporters were refused statements.

VENTED SPLEEN On Tuesday, pickets prevented several lorries driver by non-union members working for local firms from entering the pit to pick up coke.

The next day the 'Yorkshire Post' vented its spleen on the pickets in an editorial which gave an indication of what the Tories have in store for the miners and any other workers that choose to fight the government for a decent wage.

After calling for the presence of more policemen, the lory hacks warned that 'public impatience will with the miners-not with the NCB—if pickets seem to exist largely to inconvenience the public' 'We chased the reporters and cameramen away on Wednesday because they've blown the whole thing up out of proportion.

'KNOCKED DOWN' 'We'd no intentions of violence, said picket Philip Butterworth. 'But the lorries were turning into the pit at 40 mph-deliberately trying to maim people.

'As a result one fellow got knocked down and injured his leg.' 'Cameramen only show you what they want you to see.

Marchais was taking part in a broadcast in the course of which he accused the government of returning to NATO and accepting American leadership in way harmful to 'the interests and independence of France'.

The Marchais line is no doubt inspired by Moscow, which wants France to remain an independent force and to join in the call for a European Security Conference.

Fraud case does

Maudling 'tremendous A LAWYER for Home Secretary Reginald Maudling has asked a New York state court to have Maudling's name dropped as a defendant in a civil case involving an alleged $10m property fund fraud.

Maudling's lawyer, Harold Medina, filed an affidavit on behalf of his client and told the court that 'the mere pendancy of this action is doing him [Maudling] tremendous harm in Great Britain' Similar affidavits of generai denial were also filed at the wants to bring them down.' He looks further into the future — 'Nationalization did nothing for the miners, power workers or steel workers.

'Most of the men know this. We had a meeting last Sunday and the old bogey of pit closures was raised. One boy got up and said if they threaten this, then we'll take over the mines like they have done on the Clyde.

'He was well received, so I think the more the NCB talk about closure, the more it will strengthen the miners, because it makes them face up to reality.' Another Moncktonhall man, Jack Blackhurst, agreed the FINEST HEAO OFFICE TEL. BOLSOVER 220I V.T. THE 'For example, they never showed us talking reasonably to union drivers who then turned round and went off. They picked out the bits which showed us as violent men,' said apprentice Neville Guy.

The Grimethorpe miners have learnt a bitter lesson about the role of the capitalist press. Despite the attacks on them they fought through and no coke is leaving the pit now.

LIFE BLACKING

And the four firms who sent in scabs have been blacked for life, according to the pickets.

FERRYBRIDGE power station Conshire, enas Stockpired 700,000 tons of coal for the miners' strike, claims station superintendent L. T. Giles.

The £75m station produces 2,000Mw of electricity a day and is a key element in the national grid. It supplies the surrounding N Yorkshire area.

'We use 21,000 tons of coal a day for. our four generators.

'Most of it comes direct by rail from the pits within a ten-mile radius. Some also comes by barge on the adjacent Aire canal,' said Mr Giles.

But he confessed he had Italian coalit SERIOUS differences over policy to deal with the deep slump gripping the Italian economy are behind the present government crisis there, which may force Prime Minister Emilio Colombo to resign.

The small but important Republican Party, which is not part of the government but votes for it, has made it clear that it will go into opposition unless a tough line is taken to deal with the slump.

It wants a shelving of costly reforms and tougher measures against the trade unions and wages.

harm' his son, Crispin JoynsonHicks.

All thrée were directors of the Panama-registered company Real Estate Fund of America, which once described itself as 'the fastestgrowing company in the WAS PRESIDENT Maudling was the company's first président.

The company has now ceased operations, and investors are suing for $10m fight is against the govern'A year ago we had the postmen's strike,' he said.

*They were forced to go back to work because they got the support of no one. The working class can't afford to let that happen to the miners, because the whole country is looking at us-the bosses and the unions.

'With solid action this government could be brought to its knees in eight weeks.

I think the supplies will really begin to dry up by then. Then the Tories might be forced to come forward with a better offer, but I'm not counting on anything.' COALITE AND CHEMICAL GRIMETHORPE WORKS. P WER -ACOESS FOR VEHICLES ON".

Pickets out at Grimethorpe had no supplies since the , strike began and the pits ground to a halt.

Mr Giles, however, insisted. they had enough coal for seven. weeks. That worked out at 700,000 tons.

Could we take a photograph of such an impressive sight?

'No,' came the firm reply. I'm here at the gate to see no unauthorized person gets on my site. And these police will assist me.' White-collar workers leaving the power station were unsure about the coal stocks.

But one said they were 'over in the woods', pointing to some trees in the distance.

I don't believe it at all. It's all propaganda, Glasshoughton underground worker Raymond Hammill told production by 40 per cent since the overtime ban began in November,' he said.

HIGH RATE

Only 500 manual workers are employed at Ferrybridge, such the high rate of productivity per man.

These workers - members of five different unions—will now be asked to move the alleged stockpile into the station proper to power the generators. ›n breaks up It fears that if energetic measures are not taken the main gainers will be the neofascists of the Italian Social gains Movements last year's local which made big The other coalition partners do not want to be committed to a policy which will lose them electoral support but they are faced with the breakup of the. centre-left coalition if the Republican Party quits.

A summit meeting of party leaders proposed by the Social Democrats, postponed because of flu, may not after all take place as no new grounds for agreement have emerged. in losses and $20ın in punitive damages.

Medina told the court that the US Federal Court had no jurisdiction over Maudling because he is not a US citizen.

He said Maudling had little involvement with the company's activities in New York. Maudling's only trip to New York during the time he was president of the company was a social visit, Medina added:

Federal Judge Edmund Palmieri scheduled a second hearing for February 3 on the plea to remove Maudling, Lord Brentford and JoynsonHicks from the suit.

He said he would rule un the plea after the February 3 hearing.

VENER-SIRL PRODUCTS LTD WORKS TEL. BRIERLEY 5918$92 COMPANY BUSINESS.ONLY speakera. Diacuas your Ideas for the axpanded • paper LEEDS Sunday January 16 Community Centre Quarry Hill Flats Loods 1 Speaker:

Stephen Johns SHEFFIELD Sunday January 16 7.30 p.m.

YS Premises

Western Works, Portobello Speaker:

Stephen Johns ALL TRADES I MEl The lory government esign.

Return Labour government pledged to restore fall employment and repeal all laws against the unions!

DONCASTER: Sunday January 10, 7 p.m. Woodlands Hotel, Doncaster. "The strike - what next, miners COVENTRY: Sunday January 16, Il a.m. Golden Eagle, Keresley, nr Coventry. "The miners' strike and the fight against the Tories. READING: Monday January 17, 8 p.m. Trades and Labour Club, Minster St. 'The Right to Work'. SW LONDON: Tuesday January 18, 8pm. Small Hall, Clapham Manor Baths, AY REYEN Monday January 17 7.30 pm Room 1 Partick Burgh Morkland St Tube Speaker:

S LONDON adnesday January Lower Hall Brixton Town Hall Brixton SW2 vas Clapham Manor St, SW4. 'Right-to-Work' campaign.

SOUTHALL: Tuesday January Workers 1 sociation dan Featherstone Association, «The miners' strike'.

W LONDON: Wednesday January 19, 8 p.m. The Greyhound, Becklow Rd, Acton W12.

CORBY: Wednesday January. 19pm Civic Centre. The 'Right-to-Work' campaign.

CROYDON: Thursday January 20, 8pm. Ruskin House, Coombe Ra, E Croydon. support the miners.

SE LONDON: Thursday January 27, 8 p.m. Room 2, Deptford Engineers' Club, opp New Cross Stn. "The Right-to-Work campaign.' Socialist Labour Løague Special courses of lectures decision of ATUA November 6 bulld revolutionary party Lecture Room 1 Digbeth Hall, Digbeth BIRMINGHAM, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY JANUARY 18 Essential Marxism TUESDAY JANUARY 25 Economics and Politics . TUESDAY FEBRUARY 1 Historical Materialism toda Mid-Hall. rodside Hall, St George's C GLASGOW, 3 p.m.

SUNDAY JANUARY 23 Essential Marxism SUNDAY JANUARY 30 Economics and Politics given by (SLL national Lossor Hall Stephen Johns conference