MONTHLY PAPER OF THE DIRECT ACTION MOVEMENT/INTERNAT- IONAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION...THE VOICE OF ANARCHO- SYNDICALISM SEPTEMBER 198h NO 18 20p. The miners strike has strike). A strike to y ANARCHO-SYNDICALISTS AND now dragged on six extend the Dock Labour THE MINERS STRIKE months. There's little Scheme to these ports As Anarcho-syndicalists sign of the miners giv- would strengthen the we are against the poli- faced with the anarcho- ing up (despite the dockers organisation(& tical preaching of vari- syndicalist CNT°s coll- medias much svaunted help them defend jobs ous parties telling the ectivisation of industry ‘drift back to work“), 7 and conditions on the miners what to think and As Syndicalists, we see but neither is there any docks), and would close what to do. We believe creative work as one of real sign of a victory the door on coal imports the direct experience of the main facts of life. in the near future. In from countries such as life and the power of It is by work (prefer- I short its stalemate, and the “socialist” paradise people to think out ably organised as if has been for months. of Poland and South their own ideas and play)that a man or wom- Africa. The strike must spread actions is more valuable an can impress themsel- The scabs still working We mustn't aquiesce in than blindly following ves on reality and are not going to come the kind of sectionalism some correct line or change the world. There out now. It's on the that has led the steel- other. But because we is nothing shamefull in escalation of the strike workers (whom McGregor refuse to shove our human labour, iéithose through solidarity act- has already beaten) to ideas down peoples who exploit'that labour turn their backs on fel- ion by workers in other throats or resort to (the Capitalist class) industries that the low workers and aid the useless criticism this who should be ashamed. chance of a victory for bosses. It's time the doesnit mean that we The whole of the British the miners and for our old slogan ‘an injury to have no convictions. Industrial Revolution class lies. * one is an injury to all’ Syndicalists (that is, was based on coal owned was remembered and acted those who think that the by the bosses mined by solidarty upon by the trade union workers organisations the workers. Britain movement. It's time to must not only safeguard has been described as a This doesn't simply " build the General Strike jobs and wages but also "Carboniferous Civiliz- mean lobbying the TUC Victory to_the Miners! prepare for the take ation". The work of Congress in September. Bury Thatcher and Mcgre- over and running of in- millions of coal miners It means more import- or! dustry by the workers has helped to build the antly taking the argue- themselves) rest of industry, not ments about why all see class struggle, not just men but also women workers should support We’ve earned compromise, as the bas- and children in the the miners into the sis for the labour mov- early days. The workplaces and working ement which should be class communities. Into these mines committed to the the oil refineries that idea of workers self- class struggle have been increasing management; ie socia- struggles of the miners production to feed the lism. This is something have therefore been cen- power stations, into the that can never be gained tral to the fight of the power stations, into the through political part- whole class war.Through- rail depots and amongst ies; in times of revolu- out the whole of this the dockers. A great H tion they act as dust- century the fight for a opportunity was missed Y‘ bins for the frightened decent wage, against the when the dockers strike middle class, seeking dole,against the econom- last month was allowed only to maintain their ic exploitation by the to remain a purely sec- own privilege. Examples mine owners has been tional affair» Not only of this are the Bolsh- kept up. As well as this was no attempt made to evic counter—revolution- there was the fight for link the dockersi and aries who smashed the dignity. to be treated miners’ struggles, but Russian working-class as a human being and not the strike was not movement in lQl7-2l,when like an animal. In dem- spread to the smaller faced with the takeover anding workers self-man- non-registered ports a thousand of industry by syndical- agement of industry we (which have been hand- ist factory committees; see oppression not just ling imported scab coal times over. or the Communist Party in esonomic terms but throughout the miners in Spain in 1937 when I continued over ._ \ at which the SWP was not- fight against not only also in the fact thats icable by its complete now but in the future. there are order givers absence. After about an and order takers. We hours marching we assemb- I4‘ W’ keep on hearing from led at a large open field USTR‘7‘M |.w.w. radio and television B.N.T. F’ ..-' Despite the seriousness $3 qt» Ix" 0 . s-L". =1.te@’ . LA§§L . that we live in a demo- ii:1@E§§eF.'s< ‘Ye:-r .3 of the situation the cracy but what mine, “€$|§§Y_ people were in good spir- As well as the CNT con- tribution it was also factory or office is run CNT SPEACH TO THE MINERS its and determined to mentioned that an amount on a democratic basis in continue the struggle; in of Deutsch Marks was re- Britain today? National- On Saturday July 21 the this fight they are going cieved from our FAU com- isation means control by Direct Action Movement to need all the support rades,there had also been. a private capitalist is participated along with they can get. On the replaced by state comrades from the CNT and platform along with the sent via comrade Mander e message of solidarity control. Who elected the FAU in a rally organ- NUM was a member of NUPE Ian McGregor? _ ised by the South Wales in South Wales, Dick from the IWW miners loc- The basis of the pre- NUM at a mining area in Gregory,who was the first al in Colarado to the sent strike is that the AMMANFORD a town in West speaker. The CNT comrade South Wales Miners. The plan for coal gave somex Wales., was next to speak, he FAU comrades who gave the degree of control in the Through the hard practi- spoke in Spanish, which donations and messages of industry to the Union; cal work being done by was translated by a com- solidarity have tapped this the bosses now feel Bob Mander, a DAM member rade from DAM. The words interviews with rank and strong enough to chall- living in the Swansea of solidarity were very file miners which they enge. As Syndicalists, valley area, on behalf of well recieved by the will take back to Germany we believe that the the South Wales Miners,an people, in fact after- with them. C attacks of the bosses official invitation to a wards while speaking to can be defeated in the CNT member to speak in mine workers and some of Help long run only by the solidarity with the mine the women's support total control of the workers was issued. The group the CNT comrades mines and the rest of reception given to all speach was reckoned to be The Kellingley Colliery the economy by the work comrades who went to the more fresh and meaninful Band need money to pro- —ers themselves. Ammamford rally was tre- in comparison to some of duce a record as played The miners, their mendeous and very heart- tripe which is being at the recent funeral of families and supporters ening. The rally took the spoken by some glib opp- picket Joe Green who wor- have everything against form of a march through ortunists in the Labour ked at the pit.Cheques, them. The Police, the Ammanford in which about Party who want to use the PO“s to Kellingley Coll- army, the law, the a thousand people, men, mine workers as a stepp- iery Band Record Account courts and judges, Big women, and children took ing stone to political to Joan Ellis M5 The Business and the capita- part. It was the first power. This is one thing Crescent Altofts, Norm- list controlled newspap- 'political' demonstration we must be prepared to anton WF6 2QE. ers TV and radio. All ' ' h ho them) - . Labour and other . Union leaders look on. L ORGANIZE Anarcho-Syndicalists > values are for workers solidar- A l9 year old pregnant wife of a striking miner ity and mutual aid. A L shining example of this wgs told by a social V is the Womens support I worker in Burnley to eat groups and local food potato peelings and baked collections. All this is beans for her diet. The not done out of guilt or SS have been instructed pity but out of basic lby the Government to put human feeling that when the screws on the miners someoneh face is being to get them back to work. smashed,then you step in The state not content and help. The role of with starving the miners many of these structures even attempt to starve should be continued after their unborn children. the strike to act as per- Potato peelings were all menent centres of workers the lower classes in Man- resistance.Anarcho-Syndt- chester could afford when calists support the con- Engels wrote his Condit- cept of Direct Action.In ions of the working class the Miners Strike this in England, but who can has involved sabotage, ‘._ i .