[Wing throughout the ork. Today thev are faced…]

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Wing throughout the ork. Today thev are faced Ron Williams and Dennis Westwood spoke to SO in the British Legion Club, directly opposite the threastened Lewis Merthyr Coliery, which has been requisitioned as the strikers headquarters.

"LEWIS ' Merthyr is now amalgamated with Tymawr, a surface-only unit a short distance away. There are 450 or so jobs at Lewis Merthyr, and about 600 in both together.

"We are part of a joint strike committee with Maerdy, Nantgarw and Ynysybwl, which is made up of lodge officials from these pits.

"This has been building up for a long time. In the past we have been promised a lot, but have got nothing.

"We must have i support in other areas, because what is happening here is happenIn Scotland and Kent it seems the men have been afraid to stand uf and be counted. If we all were, we Would end up like the stecl workers.

"Getting Yorkshire out SU out. ar G1 he he va pe mi th co frr hc pi ur •tiv le key ith us is the key. Arthur argill promised us all the ipport 11 we got our area ut. Well, we're out solid id now it's up to the rest. veryone here can see what ill happen within 5 to 10 ars, especially with Macregor set to take over, but 'll get a bigger fight than : did at British Steel.

'In Lewis" Merthyr, derite what is being said, we ive not all been guaranteed amediate jobs elsewhere. nis will only happen when cancies come up as other cople leave. The way anagement have changed eir tune over the last ›uple of years can be seen om what has happened "Eighteen months ago, en were trainsferred from y mawr to here and promisi between 8 to 15 Vears ith no jobs.

"Personally, I'm all in fasur of sending pickets to ts in other areas. Anti nion laws? We don't recogse any laws against effecre picketing:" COSA and APEX staff u1 members join their ectior The strikers' occupa went on until meetings v held. Though these deci against coming out on str the strikers felt he p had been made - that t meant business.

Workers from the To and Trelewis Drif: pits pressed that attitude of strikers.

Articles in the previ day's Sunday Mirror, ex sing management malp tices and how private sur ers were charging exces prices from the Natic Coal Board for compone were given as exampies aramalan how profits were being m by private industy, put the coal industry into di Several referred to the n for opening of the book! the Coal Board, and or plained bitterly that the l on had been demanding s information for a long ti with no response.

The strikers were un: mous thät even if supr ran not anoniund foom at was Hul iecerveu Ironl ut areae Snuth Wales TalLo was 1 pared to go it alone inde itely.

. When asked how much they thought it was a tight against the Tory government back came the resounding reply: "Totally!' the nion tion were ided rike, oint they ›wer •exthe ious splisive onal nts, ¡ 01 lade leed s of omuniuch me, anisort that ntAfinAT stake in the strike by South Wales miners is far more than the few hundred jobs at the threatened Lewis Merthyr colliery.

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The struggle could prove a decisive test of strength between the NUM and the Tory government which in turn could decide the fate of dozens more pits and tens of thousAfter decimating the workforce and laying waste trade union organisation in British Leyland and British Steel, the Thatcher government has-set its sights on a wholesale attack on jobs, conditions and trade union organisThe NUM is under Tory fire for three related reasons. Firstly, the Tory SOONCY landslod JUP NCB bumınkoueNs acolliery outh

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ands of miners' jobs. ation in the coal industry