MINERS’ RANK AND FILE ORGANIZATION

The Newsletter, vol. 3 no. 119, 26 September 1959 · scan pages 5, 6

Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: headlines and words can be misread, and a caption or advert can run into the text. For anything you quote, read the scan.

By Our Industrial Correspondent THE most significant step since the National Coal Board announced its intention to reduce the number of . working miners, was taken at Doncaster on Saturday,. September 19.

‘ A meeting of representatives from some of the main collieries around Lancashire and Derbyshire decided to launch a rank-and-file organization of miners whose main objective would be to fight for the policy of the National — Union of Mineworkers, the main points of which are: a seven-hour day, three weeks’ holiday with pay and increased pensions.

Toc This meeting was chaired by Jim Swan, editor of the rankand file paper The Miner, and the main statement was made by Jim Allen on behalf of the editorial board.

Yorkshire miners were concerned over the effects of power loading, the difficulties of maintaining adequate safety in the pits and the speed-up which the Coal Board is demanding from them.

Jim Swan, from the chair, summed up the problems and explained how in Lancashire no miner would work if it was considered that the safety in his pit was inadequate. He felt that it was also necessary for miners to lay down an. overall target of production for their pit along realistic lines and to ensure that this was done and nothing more.

The biggest applause was for a railway worker who insisted that there should be unity between the rank and file of all trade unions who face similar problems in the fight for the shorter working week. The miners present recalled the great struggles of the 20s and there is no doubt that the spirit of the Triple Alliance still lives in Yorkshire.

During the evening Gerry Healy, national secretary of the Socialist Labour League, was given permission by the meeting to make a statement on the National Assembly of Labour and . this was well received by everyone. ‘The great task before the Assembly,’ he said, ‘is to unite in action all sections of the Labour movement around a programme of demands which will lead to socialism in this country.’

The new rank-and-file committee is now going ahead to organize its work and develop the sales of its paper, The Miner,

SEPTEMBER 26, 195% average for each garage or depot shall not exceed 81 hours.