[ENCOURAGED by the defeat inflicted on the Thatcher…]

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ENCOURAGED by the defeat inflicted on the Thatcher government by the water workers, and determined to stop the Tory rot that has destroyed jobs by the thousand, miners across the country have responded to the lead By next week the union could be in its first national strike for nearly 10 years — with the prospect of a hard and bitter fight to turn back the Tory offensive.

Even as Welsh miners fanned out into other mining areas, arguing their case and pressing for supporting strike action, the NCB underlined the scale of its latest attack on jobs by announcing the closure of the Coedely The first task has correctly been seen as to mobilise and consolidate the strongest possible action across the NUM.

This means ensuring that the promises of solidarity already given in Yorkshire, Kent, Scotland and elsewhere are translated into strike action next week, and that the maximum campaign is waged to ensure that ballots in other areas produce a resounding vote for action.

strike has won an immed- the next inevitable round of iate response from the redundancies is upon them. transport unions - who And power workers -alse stand to lose jobs fighting Tory pay limits -through the NCB closures. must lend their active supgiven by South Wales NUM. coking plant near Tonyrefail.

As the strike has gathered momentum, even right by Harry wing NUM leaders such openly recommending a vote for action.

The result is that while pay and jobs foundered in Arthur Scargill has dodged part because the wage offer the limelight and the witch- then was seen as and hv hunters of the Tory press current standards, and the by his low profile, a firmly- threat of closures was a footed strike is now under more abstract issue for the way, built upon rank and future. Now that a confile militancy, and thus cap- crete, immediate closure is able of withstanding the posed, and the miners on inevitable lies and abuse the spot have been preparthat will be hurled at the ed to give a lead fin the new strikers by the media. Scar- climate after the water gill has now called an Exe- workers' strike) the rank cutive meeting, recommen- and file response is there. ding national strike action In South Wales, at least, without the formalities of a it appears also that the national ballot.

The strike has shown that last October's failure to secure a mandate for action on the combined issue of This must be built upon in every area, and the hitherto oothless "Triple Alliance' of miners, rail unions and steel workers should be invoked.

Steelworkers - themselves fighting to secure a national pay increase this year - must seize this chance to deal a blow to the Tory job-slashers before 41. - -- • 1 - port to the miners against the common enemy.

For the labour movement as a whole, the miners' strike gives a chance to continue the offensive begun with the water workers. Every trade union branch and stewards" committee should meet to discuss the possibility of boycott action, supporting strikes and mobilising mass pickets of key coal-using plants - most obviously Dower stations.

(TU). Registered as a Labour Parties too should mobilise in solidarity action, publicising the miners' case, raising funds to support what could be a lengthy strike, and demanding MPs and union leaders take action to back the strike. One key demand should be that the Labour leadership pledge a future Labour government to implement the NUM demand of no pit closures excepi on grounds oí exhausted coal seams.

The fight at Lewis Mer-

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Sid Vincent have c sme at Sloan