The post you are reporting:
I agree with Keith that the unions were out of control in the 70's and something needed to be done to even the balance.
The Tories mounted a war-like strategy, to smash the trade unions and used the miners to achieve this goal.
I was told that we were "outflanked & out-manoeuvred" which I had to admit, was true. But the truth is that the majority of ordinary miner's, only wanted to keep their pit's open, not bring down a government and in no way, did he/they deserve to be called or treated as "the enemy within"
Many people, some on here, have repeatedly blamed Scargill and the miners for not having a National Ballot and that Scargill had no mandate to strike in 84/85.
All areas, unanimously agreed to this industrial action. In 1983 all areas held area ballots and unanimously called for industrial action if the Coal Board tried to close any viable pit. That legally gave Scargill the mandate he needed.
However Kent and some other's did not wait for Scargill, they implemented their own members mandate and immediately took industrial action
For the true storey, 1978 is a good starting place.
The validity of a National Ballot.
In 1978, Gormley and our NEC, tried to alter our national bonus agreement, this was under a Labour Government and I can remember sitting in the welfare club having a chat with some of the lads and none of us could understand why this new bonus scheme was being imposed on us. Basically it would mean that every miner would receive the same amount per tonnage removed from their pit throughout the UK.
To the outside world it looked a sensible and fair scheme and was touted in the press as such.
But it was far from fair.
In Kent our average coal seam was 3ft and the coal was much harder to win. In Nottingham and some other area's, their coal seams were as much as 14ft thick and much easy to win.
This meant that if it was implemented, Notts, Derby, Leicester areas would recieve massive bonus's, leaving the rest of the UK miners, struggling for a decent wage.
It did not take much imagination to realise what was going on and that there was a much big hidden agenda going on here.
It is said that Gormley was in the pay of state security forces at that time(allegedly) this was forged by the way he turned heaven and hell to get this scheme in place.
He defied a National Conference decision that rejected his scheme by demanding a National Ballot, thinking that he had enough members in the areas that would financially be much better off, that would vote in his favour.
However, he did not know his members that well and they rejected his scheme by 55% at this National Ballot.
This did not deter him at all though, he then decided that the scheme would go ahead anyway.
He ignored his National Conference and his National Ballot and for that reason, several areas took this to court, including Kent.
Mr Justice Watkins ruled that the result of a National Ballot that had been conducted, is Not Binding, upon the National Executive Committee" allowing Gormley to go ahead with this scheme.
This decision invalidated any future National Ballots, in fact in 84/85 many banners saying "Bo—ocks to the Ballots" was seen been carried mostly by Notts striking miners.
The schemes were then steam rolled through and started about creating divisions in wages and terms and making fish of one the flesh of another.
All the areas like Notts did not just enjoy the fruits of this divisive scheme, they enjoyed years of harmonious relations with their employers, enjoying an easy life, whilst being lured into thinking their collieries would be rock solid safe, until they were exhausted.
Some could see that they were just being used and would live to regret it but it was greed not loyalty that won the day.
That was the start of the military style, plans of destruction, of our Coal Mining Industry.
