The Thugs in Blue Press Financal,kimp Gang

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working at the pits could still do so despite a decision by militant NCB leader lan MacGregor, to shut them down.

Mr MacGregor reacted with fury at the development. "l have said these pits will not work and I intend to enforce that.

The Home Secretary ordered the pickets to act after it became clear that thousands of MacGregors were heading for the pits to close them and stop miners reporting for duty.

The Attorney General in a Parliamentary statement said, "The right to go to work is a cherished freedom. We cannot afford to see it taken away by MacGregors, however militant they may be.

New anti-employer laws have been brought into play, for the first time in this dispute. MacGregors attempting to approach the pits with padlocks, chains and redundancy notices were intercepted on the motorways.

Any geriatric Americans in flash cars were being flagged down by pickets and asked to account for their movements.

Mcanwhile, pressure was growing on MacGregor to accept the result of a national ballot, which voted massively against closures. To the question "Do you wish to be chucked on the dole along with 3½ million other people?" 98%, said 'no' and only 2% voted for redundancy. The vote result came as a shock to MacGregor, It is wiser that police are kept in check where they live rather than roam the country, terrifying the population at large, " he said. who was yesterday locked in NCB It is the threat from the police headquarters, and refusing to that the government must now speak to the press. combat. Police forces include in to break the pickets blockade, Some MacGregors did manage their ranks many people who Joined up for aggro and whose pits, thrusting £5 notes at miners but stood forlornly outside the picket lines. idea of a good time is fighting or reporting for duty, asking them to Public opinion has however go home: turned against the thugs in blue The pickets are all hand- uniform after seeing their vicious picked militants from workforces attacks on pickets on television all over Britain, skilled and highly along with a suitable commentary trained in preventing bosses making it clear who was responwrecking their industries. sible.

The campaign to close down In an interview on BBC telepits and throw miners on the dole vision last night, a Chief Contook a sinister turn at the week- stable from Manchester - Anderend when thousands of police ton - fared extremely badly, travelled half the length of the when interrupted every other country to help close the pits word, jeered at by reporters and down. asked whether he would deny he Prompt action by pickets was acting on behalf of internipped this plan for violence in national freemasonry. the bud. Pickets sealed the Mr. Jack Taylor, the man resborders of every county and ponsible for the immaculate turner! the police back. Police picket operation, in reply to the forces which attempted to move question 'Excuse me, sir, but is dave been warned by pickets that there any point you would like us they will be arrested if they try to lu lllake. said the pickets were leave their beat areas. responsible for preventing wideAn attempt by the Kent Police spread violence by police. Federation to challenge this ruling «We have been accused of in the High Court failed when Mi being political" , he said. "That is Justice Scargill ruled the pickets laughable. All we are doing is "It is a fair bet that these thugs had every right to stop police. ensuring that the bourgeoisie does not try to upset the rule of the in blue uniforms will cause working class. That is our job -trouble if they travel to pit areas. nothing to do with politics.

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Socialist Organiser no. 171 March 22 1984 Page 3 Ois ten Coler a.nu ARRIS NCB JOHN H.

The police are not invincible! "If, for example, the Yorkshire miners, assisted by large numbers of sympathetic trade unionists, decided to besiege the big coalburning power stations in the Trent Valley and the Doncaster area -the backbone of the national electricity grid - there is very little the chief constables of Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire could do on the day to make sure supplies were not affected if the workforce could not enter the premises.

«The government must consolidate its advantage. It could all unravel very rapidly if the flying pickets regai the initiative and offic ial resolve crumbles."

The Times, March 20