MINERS PAY TALKS COLLAPSE

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT THE BATTLE for Saltley depot, Birmingham, ended yesterday in total victory for the mhters.

Several hundred of them were joined by 20,000 of the city's engineers in a massive picket outside gates of the gas board's coke depot.

A huge police contingent was waiting. They took one look at the determination and size of the pickets...and called it a day.

At 10.44 a.m., as the crowd aure flowed, the depot closed gates.

Arthur Scargill, Yorkshire NUM executive member, told the cheering crowd: 'With the solidarity of the trade union movement, we have achieved our aim. This will go down in British trade union history.' Since Monday, Saltley depot has been the scene of angry clashes between pickets and police. At least 60 men have been arrested and several have been injured by scab lorries crashing through their lines. On Tuesday a police inspector had both legs run over by a lorry.

Yesterday's demonstration followed a one-day strike call by the Amalgamated Union Engineering Workers' E Birmingham district committee.

About 50,000 men are thought to have taken the day off from the big British-Leyland plant at Longbridge, Salisbury Transmissions, branch of GKN, Joseph Lucas and Dunlop's.

When they massed outside the depot there were shouts of 'Heath out' and Close the gates'.

Cannock Chase district NUM treasurer John Stuart commented: I feel proud to be a member of the trade union movement. It was a mass demonstration of solidarity behind the miners. I hope it unites the whole rank and file of the trade union movement behind the miners' case.

"The TUC should take the lead from the rank and file and see that the miners get just settlement.

"The longer the strike goes on the higher will be our price for a return. The determination the men will increase.' Jim Haddon, E Birmingh V FOR VICTORY: BIrm trade unlonists showe solldarity by turning up thousands to close the coal depot. Another SALTLEY AUEW district committee member, said: 'It wants to be like that all over the country, and get this government out.

"They soon shut the gates this morning. That's solidarity in action. The attitude of the police today was "please"; it hasn't been like that before today.

It's time the TUC started implementing its constitution, particularly Clause 8, that they back up unions in a fight. They let the postal workers and the power workers be picked off.

WONDERFUL IT WAS wonderful!' "The working class is said Roy Brownsford, fed up with the Tories. lodge secretary at Nor- We've been browbeaten ton Collier'it was all for years and now we shire after over.

"This solidarity shows that the working class can beat anybody if it sticks together. If they don't settle quickly now there'll be a General Strike. That's what we really need now, a General Strike to oust this Tory government. Ingham 1 their In their Saltley picture are saving "This is enough"*** = annu "Threats to close the pits don't frighten us anymore. They can close the bloody lot for all we care' As the men from Pressed Steel Fisher marched away from the depot with the cheers of the miners ringing in THE TORY government is becoming increasingly alarmed prospect of class confrontation over the miners' strike. Yes massive demonstration in Birmingham, when engineers joined pickets to force the closure of the Saltley coke depot, is just of the solidarity being forged in the working class. 'And they would let this lot same in London. Thousands out be picked off if they had their way. The TUC should stop feathering and organize some action.

Tony Morris, miner from Rugeley, Staffordshire, said: 'We have had a pledge from one factory that it they re-open the gate tomorrow (Friday) 5,000 will be here.

'What we want SOLIDARITY their ears, Gordon Vaughan, AUEW convenor, told our reporter:

'We came first of all as trade unionists to give physical support to our brothers here who have been hard pressed the last few days.

'We couldn't allow the police to knock trade unionists about like this.

'But this is a political fight as well. This dispute could have been ta lobby MPs.

'We will stay on strike till Ted Heath gets down on his hands and knees. This strike can be won. We've suffered five weeks, and we'll suffer another five' Joe Morris, Tony's father, said: 'We would have settled for f5 before the strike. But not now. It's f9 or nothing.' Peter Oates, a Barnsley area miner, said: "This should happen all over the country. The latest offer is tantamount to an insult.' settled by now if it wasn't for the strict guidelines imposed by the government. 'A victory for the miners is crucial for the whole trade union movement. The eyes of all workers have been focused on this gasworks over the last few days. What we have done today has been a complete victory for the organized movement, Trade union terday's miners' sample Late yesterday pay talks in London between the miners and the Coal Board broke down 'irrevocably' and the government ordered a court of inquiry.

Coal Board chairman Derek Ezra said the minimum terms sought by the miners represented a 25 per cent increase and were 'totally beyond the reach of the Board'.

To end the strike the NUM is demanding £7 a week for underground workers, £6 for_surface workers and corresponding increases for face workers.

But it would be wrong to think that the Tories are not using every available trick and device to play on the weaknesses in the NUM leadership The first stage of this wheeling so-called and dealin* could be seen in the came into prominence in the past Then there was yesterday's unanimous decision by the NUM's executive to reject the new offer. On the face of it, the decision was militant-a slap in the face to Ezra and company.

But only three hours after taking this decision miners' leaders Joe Gormley and • Syd Schofield went to Carr's Department of Employment to start further talks.

Why? Because the government and the NCB are planning a 'package' deal covering wages for miners during the next 18 months or two years.

This is the reason for the inquiry.

This 'package' can be expected to contain the usual productivity strings which rightwing trade union leaders are so willing to sign these days. Thus the dangers are clear— on the eve of the greatest shows of solidarity and militancy for the miners, the conspiracy is being hatched to snatch away wage justice.

Miners must insist that there should be no settlement except on the basis of the original demand.

The mass class action in Birmingham yesterday must be the signpost for today and every successive day of this Tory attack on the miners.

Forelgn News 2 Unemployment 1930s Manifesto What happened James Larkin TV programmes 11

Press, Friday February 11, AROUND THE WORLD