LABOR

“The strike by the British National
Union of Mineworkers is a strike unlike any
strike before it — because the Thatcher
government has set out, first to destroy the
miners’ union and to proceed from there to
go after the whole trade union movement,”
Yorkshire NUM member Steve Shukla told
an audience in Vancouver Oct. 13.

And because of that, the outcome of the
31-week-old strike “is important not just for
us and our families but for the trade union
movement in Britain and around the
world,” he said.

Shukla, a 24-year-old miner from the
mining village of Armthorpe, in the York-
shire coalfields, was in Vancouver this week
as part of a North American tour. He is not
officially representing the miners’ union
— the representative appointed by the
NUM, Frank Clark is to be in Vancouver
Nov. 2 — but his trip has been endorsed by
his NUM branch in Armthrope.

“It was the Thatcher government which
provoked the strike with its plan to close
down ‘uneconomic’ pits and it is the
Thatcher government which has been
responsible for the violence that has taken
place,” he declared, pointing out that the
Tory government has assembled “‘an army
of 10,000 police’’ to move against strikers
and to escort the scabs to work. The figures
tell the story of who is responsible for the
violence, he said — five miners killed, 300
injured and 7,000 arrested.

All of that has been done with the objec-
tive of eventually closing 70 pits and laying
off 70,000 miners. “And when you consider
that the NUM has 183,000 members, you

can see the devastating effect that would
have,” he said.

Shukla debunked the notion of “uneco-
nomic” mines, emphasizing that “‘there is
no such thing in Britian. The mines have
been starved of investment funds in Britain
for decades,” he said, with the exception of

Solidarity decisive |
for miners’ strike

the coal fields in Nottinghamshire which
have received 81 per cent of the investment.
In the Nottinghamshire pits, miners were
offered bonuses for extra production —
with the result that the miners there “earn
twice what a Yorkshire miner earns,”
And it is in Nottinghamshire that the
scabbing has been centred, he noted.
Elsewhere, since the strike began, “the
government has tried to starve us out — but
they have failed.
“There has been tremendous solidarity

throughout society — even rock stars are-

doing benefits for the miners.”

Particularly significant during the strike
has been the emférgence of the wives’ sup-
port committees which have organized
women throughout the country on the min-
ers’ behalf. “In my village,for example, the
women are feeding 100 families a day.”

NUM tour — page 8

That support has been decisive in ena-
bling the NUM to maintain the strike
through 31 long and difficult weeks. The
miners receive no strike pay although the
British press has conspired with Thatcher to
create the public impression that they
do — and welfare payments to families are
cut accordingly.

Until now, coal shortages created by the
strike have not been critical but as winter
approaches, they will — and so will the
miners’ strike.

“The government will try new methods
to break the strike — but we are equally
determined that they will not succeed,”
Shukla said.

“We've got a fighting leadership and a
membership which is behind that leader-
ship.

“But we need your support,” he said. “It
is not just a struggle for us and our families
but for the whole trade union movement, in
Britain and around the world.”

trickle.

a torrent.

For just $2
you can help
mark 50 years

We're happy to report that, even before we announced last
week the beginning of the 1984 subscription drive, new
subscriptions to the Tribune have been epg in at a steady

But on the eve of the 50th anniversary of British
Columbia’s labor weekly, we’d like to see that trickle become

Remember that new subs can be purchased for the low,
low price of only $2, which puts the Tribune in your mailbox
for three months. An enhanced readership is the perfect way
to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 1985.

: i
- THREE MONTHS $2 i
RS EN ae ESS, RE a ea ee ak. :
RS RR: Sa ee ere E
Boece essere scene ees POSTAL CODE os orscteseecee ss -
i i
- Clip and mail to: :

AS

Autonomy in IAM presse

By RAP LEWIS

SEATTLE — A full floor battle by
Canadian delegates for the right to elect
their own general vice-president lost ona
3,467 to 2,677 roll-call vote late in the
third day of the International Associa-
tion. of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers’ (IAM) convention here Wed-
nesday.

The hours long roll-call process came
at the end of a day marked by speeches
from leaders overseas on a common
theme of international labor dis

Although (the geyppee
Canadian machin-
ists failed to achieve
their aim, the roll-
call results showed
they had persuaded
a substantial minor- | |, &.
ity of the*U.S. dele-
gates of the justice
of their cause. Prior
to the roll-call count,
the issue of the Can-
adian vice-president WILLIAM
beingnominatedand WINPISINGER
elected by the Canadian membership of
the IAM was debated for an hour and a
half. .

The Canadian caucus, comprising
about seven per cent of the total IAM
delegates, had discussed the issue prior to
the convention and agreed to drop sup-
port for all other resolutions dealing with
Canadian autonomy, and focus on the
one constitutional change.

At present, all nine IAM general vice-
president are elected by the entire mem-
bership at large. The change urged by the
Canadians provided for eight vice-
presidents to be elected by the US.
membership and one elected by the Can-
adian membership.

The committee on law, which noted
the sincerity of the Canadians who had
appeared before it, recommended their
proposal be turned down on the grounds
that it would divide the union. Whether
the change was divisive or unifying was a
focal point of the debate.

One after another, Canadian delegates
rose to stress their deep loyalty for the
union, and to argue that adoption of the
change would strengthen that loyalty still
more.

“T am a proud Machinist,” said one
white-haired veteran. “I wear the logo. I
have it on my car and in my home. But
do not forget that we are also Canadians.
What we are asking is fair — a matter of
principle.”

Several delegates cited raids ‘ other
unions who exploited the fact that the

Alta. jobless

EDMONTON — Alberta’s unem-
ployed -will be pitching tents on the pro-
vincial legislature grounds, Oct. 19-21 to
press their demands for job-creation
action by the Tory Lougheed govern-
ment and for an end to social service
cuts.

The tent city project is an initiative of
the Unemployed Action Centre, the
Alberta Federation of Labor, Solidarity
Alberta, and other community and labor
groups.

UAC co-ordinator Keith Rimstad
said organizers plan to link the tent city
protest to the events being organized
over much of the same period as part of
United Nations Disarmament Week,
whose theme this year will be “Jobs and
Peace.”

Labor Notes

IAM Canadian vice-president is electe
primarily by the U.S. membership.

The woman president of a Canadiar
Ford local lodge said, “We don’t want
leave the Machinists. We love this orga
ization, we appeal to you, be trade union,
ists. Be together. Do not divide Canad:
and America. Help me keep the IAM it ir
the Ford organization.”

Among the few who spoke in support
of the committee motion to drop th e
proposal was a Memphis delegate whe
argued that “territories shouldn’t elem
their‘own vice-presidents. All members
have an equal interest in electing the ge a:
eral officers.” ;

But a Toronto delegate protested tha
“Canada is not a territory, it’s a country®
and that it was divisive for its leadershj
to be determined by the workers 6
another country.

IAM President William Winpisinge 3
in the chair, ruled the voice vote too clog
to call. Ona standing vote the committe
report then carried narrowly, 878 to 79
and was followed by the roll-call vote

During the ten-day convention ses
sion, delegates were addressed by met:
trades leaders from West German:
Japan and Norway and by Helen Cajq;
cott, president emeritus of Physicians fg
Social Responsibilty. The machinj
union, one of the most progressive in th
U.S. has long had a nuclear nducti
policy.

General Secretary Hans Mayr of th
Metal Workers Federation of the Fed
eral Republic of Germany spelled outt th
significance of his union’s recent seven
week strike for shorter hours.

“We have opened the door to the 35
hour week,” Mayr said. “We now have
the 38-hour week in metal and the 38
hour week in steel. And we won’t give ip
until we’ve reached our great demand —
the 35 hour week.” y

Mayr’s address in German was trans
lated for the delegates, but he conclude a
with an appeal in English: “I wish for us
all freedom and peace all over the wo:
Let us fight together.” Delegates ro:
response, cheering and applauding.

Earlier, in his convention keyno
Winpisinger had saluted the “magn
cent and militant” example of the
German workers.

“The 30-hour week with no loss in
and no overtime,” Winpisinger ai
“should be our rallying cry in the IA
and the entire trade union movement i
Canada, in the U.S. and throughout th
industrialized world.”

Rap Lewis is a labor reporter fort th
People’s World. This report, prepares
the World, was also filed with the Trib

demonstrate 2

The disarmament week particip: an
will join the unemployed campers ont
legislature grounds to show their suf
port, then all will march to city hall for
rally as part of the week’s events.

Premier Peter Lougheed will
invited by the campers to join the’
their tent city and to receive the 17,0
name petition the action centre hast
circulting demanding government acti
to create jobs, and a reversal of the
government’s slashing of social servic

The UAC and the labor move:
are arguing that these services oug
be expanded during such a crisis per
rather than being destroyed by
government intent on shifting the D
vince’s wealth even further away fre
the people and into the coffers of t
business, =

12 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 17, 1984