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Class War issue 81: Sweet On Scabs, Tough On Union Miners
Following his landslide victory in 1997, Tony Blair addressed the TUC conference. In a speech to the delegates but really directed to his friends in the city, Blair offered "no favours" to the unions or their members.
Funny then that when Blair is given the choice between the scab anti-union UDM, and the NUM Blair's message of "no favours" is replaced by one of throwing money and influence into the laps of the UDM.
First there is the test centres to which all miners and ex-miners must go tho have their lungs tested for chronic bronchitis claims. In Nottingham and Leicester he locates them in UDM owned and operated buildings, whilst refusing to allow the NUM to use its buildings in either scab coalfields or NUM heartlands.
Next they grant a claims handling agreement to the UDM which allows the scab outfit to claim back millions from claims and copperbottom an extensive raiding sortie across British coalfields looking for claimants and taking out local radio adverts.
Needless to say the same facilities are denied the NUM, despite having requested them first. Consequently the UDM, which was dying a death, is now prosperous whilst the NUM has lost valuable funding and influence.
Whilst in opposition, former Labour leaders promised, after intense lobbying from miners sacked, jailed and victimised during the strike, that the "first thing" they would do on gaining office would be to set the record straight and reinstate the men sacked in the strike. Where this was not possible compensation, and at the very least lost pension rights could be restored.
Typically, just as he did with banning hunting, Blair substituted a commitment with a fudge - a Commission of Enquiry. This enquiry was not to look at the injustice of the recent history of the coalfields and the price communities paid, including people who paid with their lives. Instead it was to see if any 'fresh evidence' had emerged in 'individual cases'. Bad that all of this is, they have now actually canvassed the opinions of guess who? The UDM! To ask them if miners should be reinstated or have their cases looked at again! The very same UDM that directly and indirectly caused the miners strike to be lost, thousands to lose their jobs and men to be sacked, beaten and jailed.
Can Blair go any lower? As he starts his election tour around the country let's ram the above facts down his smug throat!
Back to issue 81 contents
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