Miners fir opening shots

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convenors reject 2 year D. DUr CAN LIVE ON CORNA VE Ol THE RESPONSE so far to the National Union of Mineworkers' overtime ban, which started on October 5, has been good.

But there is no room for complacency about the result of the ballot on strike action, which takes place on October 28-29. Unless the NUM branches organise and explain the issues to the membership, the pressures of the recession could push miners into accepting the Coal Board's 8.2 per cent offer.

The NUM is calling for a mandate for strike action on pay and to stop pit closures. The pay claim is a minimum basic rate of £115 for surface \ workers and £27.20 across the board increase for higher grades.

Linking pay and closures in a single ballot is unusual. But it's the right thing to do. No way can the two issues be fought separately. The Coal Board are already linking the issues in their way - offering more on pay if the NUM accepts job cuts.

John Cunningham (Dinnington NUM, Yorkshire)

3L BRITISH Leyland management continue to blaze a reactionary trail on behalf of the big employers and the Tory government This year's wage offer to its workforce in Austin Rover, Jaguar cars, the Unipart group, and BL , Technology, is based on the principle of a iwo year deal. If accepted, it Will be a further step towards the kind of control established by the employers in the United States. It is in line with Tebbit, who said: We (the Tory government) have to re-educate workers out of the ridiculous notion of expecting a pay increase every year accepted, the deal would become yet another major principle established within BL which would told Socialist Organiser: 'We had a well-attended branch meeting on the overtime ban on Saturday (9th), with over 150 there. We expected a lot of hostility, but when we put the arguments we won the men round. We got very solid backing"

When the campaigning work is done, the support can be won. In Yorkshire all the pits are having pithead meetings on the claim. Arthur Scargill is speaking at a meeting of all NUM committee members from the whole Yorkshire coalfield on the 13th, and at an all-Yorkshire rally on the 21st. "But there has been little coming out in the way of leaflets and papers. And a real campaign should include sending flying pickets from Yorkshire to areas like Nottinghamshire, to win support. (This would be unconstitutional. But it can be done. Similar things have been done before).

There has been scattered resistance to the overtime ban. Petitions against deal then be generalised to working class as a whole.

Today's delegate conference decision (October 12) to reject the deal and pursue the original claim is very important.

The meeting decided that Shop Stewards' meetings and mass 'meetings should be held in the next few days with a recommendation of rejection, followed by a further delegate conference next Monday.

The package offered not really a two year deal. It is two one year deals negotiated at the same time. The it have been got up in high earning pits. Six pits i south Leicestershire hav asked for exemption.

But the overtime bai should begin to bite fairl soon. All weekend repai work - normally done o overtime - is banned ex cept in emergency, so a soon as breakdowns an repair jobs begin to buil up the effects of the ba will increase.

Disputes are likely to b provoked by local man agement.

Together with strengt! ening the overtime ban an explaining the case fc fighting on pay and clos ures, the other job tha needs to be done now i making links with othe Support from powe workers will be vital in strike. A large part of th large stocks of coal ar inside the power stations.

The Triple Alliance -rail, steel, coal - als needs to be made a reality with joint union meeting at local, area and nationa level. company handout explain that BL needs a two yea deal in order to 'achieve to al stability'. The offer prot ides for increases in th grade rate ranging frot £4.15 to £5.50 across th five grades from Novembe 1 this year and further ir creases of the same amoun on November 1 next year.

It provides for consolida tion of £3.75 per week o bonus into the grade rate on November 1 this year an further consolidation o £3.75 per week bonus o November 1 next year. Thi is subject to an average of 2 bonus points being earned i the preceding six months.

Consolidation which be came part of the clair pressed by Jack Adam. from Longbridge, involve workers being paid wit their own money. The offe also provides for improve ment of overtime and night shift payment through ir creases in the premium bas rates of £3.60 to £5 in No vember this year and th same next year. It propose increased lay-off days whici are given in return for th abolition of the nationa guaranteed week. So th proposed new lay-off deal despite some minimal fring benefits, is worse than th present one!

Taken together the dea represents further majo cut in the living standards o BL workers, since previou settlements of 5% in 1978 5% in 1979, 6.8% in 1981 and 3.8% in 1981.

To defend living stand ards we must fight for a hug vote against the offer at thi week's mass meetings, foll owed. by preparation fo "strike action. * »