Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

[tive picketing. The rail unions NUR and ASLEF…]

Socialist Organiser no. 172, 28 March 1984 · scan pp. 1–2 · about 535 words

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tive picketing.

The rail unions NUR and ASLEF, members of the coal-rail-steel Triple Alliance, have asked their members not to cross miners' picket lines. NUR general secretary. Jimmy Knapp has pledged that the railworkers' support for the miners must be "totally effective".

-In South Yorkshire, representatives from the NUR District Council have met with the rest of the Triple Alliance, and have since stopped coal getting into British Steel's Orgrave Coking Plant.

The plant has been picketed by miners from Treeton Bridge.

Coming into London a train driver stoped when he saw a miners' banner draped over a bridge. The train went on only after coal wagons were unhooked and left.

British Rail have so far not dared to send home union members who refuse to cross picket lines, despite earlier threats that they would.

The TGWU has promised to support members who won't deliver coal to stockpiles. Scottish NUM leader Mick McGahey has -called for workers to "stop the importation and transportation of coal'" , and for the TUC to organise support.

Ravenscraig steel workers have given £1000 to the Scottish miners, and the Clyde area of the steel union ISTC has called on general secretary Bill Sirs to come out in public support of the miners.

The executive of the Society of Civil and Public servants has promised to give organisational and financial support to the miners, remembering the "magnificent support received from NUM members in the day of protest for the staff of GCHQ"

The miners can win - if this solidarity is spread at rank and file level, and at the same time we demand that the leaders of the TUC and the Labour Party come out in active support and stand on the line with the Stop all coal!

JOHN HARRIS Picketing Lea Hall power station in Staffordshire to do nothing. £3 billion to be spent on the Falklands. And the oil revenue of £20 billion or more - every penny of it has been spent on paying for the cost of unemployment.

That is the first reason.

And I think that Liverpool has suffered more than most areas of the country from the deceit of the Liberals, who have gone round on the doorstep promising that every problem that is raised will be dealt with, and then going to the council chamber or the House of Commons and voting to see that the money to meet those needs is stopped.

-Liverpool, which is a • very creative and a very imaginative city, and a very famous city, has created a lot of wealth for other people - and that money has left that city and gone abroad and to people who do not live in the place. Liverpool is the graveyard of capitalism and, 1 believe, the birthplace of socialism in Britain.

Comrades, the second point is very simple and very important too. It is that Labour was elected in Liverpool to protect jobs and services, and it must keep faith with the people who put their confidence in the Labour council. That is absolutely essential.

In 1981 the people of Toxteth took to the streets. In 1984 the

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Socialist Organiser no. 175 April 19 1984 Page

← Contents of Socialist Organiser no. 172

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