Bassman62 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 The issue of a national ballot was put to the vote at an EGM and Scargill didn't express an opinion on which course of action was right or wrong. It was the EGM that decided a National ballot was not necessary since the bulk of the regions were already on strike. To blame Scargill for not holding a National ballot is to blame him for respecting democracy and the wishes expressed by that EGM. Perhaps that decision was tactically wrong, it was however the only decision a democratic leader could make. So why didn't the rest of the TUC support him? Sensible people know that it would have made him virtual dictator over the trade union movement, regardless of what you say he didn't follow the recognised/proper procedures even those who formed the breakaway miners union know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman62 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 It saddens me when I see and hear other working class workers critical of the miners. The miner's demise is one of the reasons that working class workers and other trade union members are now having to work for rubbish pay in worsening conditions. These people were and are conned by the government, the media and business into siding with Thatcher and the coal board They're mugs and can't complain if their own pay and conditions are poor... The miners were badly led by an power drunk ego maniac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banjodeano Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 It saddens me when I see and hear other working class workers critical of the miners. The miner's demise is one of the reasons that working class workers and other trade union members are now having to work for rubbish pay in worsening conditions. These people were and are conned by the government, the media and business into siding with Thatcher and the coal board They're mugs and can't complain if their own pay and conditions are poor... Great post Frank:thumbsup: Yeah it was all political, she knew she had to beat the miners, they were the strongest union at the time, if she crushed that union then all the others were doomed to fail, unfortunately she won, and then it led the door open to all the nasty Thatcher policies, "The I'm alright Jack attitude", where everyone would step on each other to get their pockets full of money, and so it is today, we have got numpties stating on SF they would not hesitate to cross a picket line, why do the working class fight each other so much.? why do they not think about their fellow working man.? I wish the working class man would look back about fourty years, he could learn so much from the past, instead we have the Thatcher mentality..."I'M ALL RIGHT JACK"..!!! :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Sidney Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Great post Frank:thumbsup: Yeah it was all political, she knew she had to beat the miners, they were the strongest union at the time, if she crushed that union then all the others were doomed to fail, unfortunately she won, and then it led the door open to all the nasty Thatcher policies, "The I'm alright Jack attitude", where everyone would step on each other to get their pockets full of money, and so it is today, we have got numpties stating on SF they would not hesitate to cross a picket line, why do the working class fight each other so much.? why do they not think about their fellow working man.? I wish the working class man would look back about fourty years, he could learn so much from the past, instead we have the Thatcher mentality..."I'M ALL RIGHT JACK"..!!! :huh: Ordinary workers have stood for the egg under that hat for too long. Mugs, no other description is apt really.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CXC3000 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Mr Scargill condemning the Zionist terrorists and the murder of Palestinians : ----- There's some good left in that man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hardie Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Great post Frank:thumbsup: Yeah it was all political, she knew she had to beat the miners, they were the strongest union at the time, if she crushed that union then all the others were doomed to fail, unfortunately she won, and then it led the door open to all the nasty Thatcher policies, "The I'm alright Jack attitude", where everyone would step on each other to get their pockets full of money, and so it is today, we have got numpties stating on SF they would not hesitate to cross a picket line, why do the working class fight each other so much.? why do they not think about their fellow working man.? I wish the working class man would look back about fourty years, he could learn so much from the past, instead we have the Thatcher mentality..."I'M ALL RIGHT JACK"..!!! :huh: I would recommend the film of the same name. Peter Sellers' caricature of the union man is spot on and demonstrates why the unions ultimately failed. With a few honourable exceptions the leadership was appalling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe-b-1 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 I may have been born and bred in a mining town but ive NEVER EVER been in support of what scargill stands for , and im ashamed and embarrassed to be from the same town as that man. And at the end of the day ive a family to feed and support ,so if it means me crossing a picket line ,id do it. Even if you were part of the actual mining community? On the mining estate that I lived on as a child ( I moved out before the strikes) the few that were scabs were forced out of the village. Their windows were put through, their houses were set on fire, they were beaten up, their kids and wifes were beaten up (by other kids and wifes). To the best of my knowledge they still haven't shown their faces in the local pubs for fear of reprisals - most of the striking miners also had a family to feed and support and those same families supported the strike and despised scabs and still do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 So why didn't the rest of the TUC support him? Sensible people know that it would have made him virtual dictator over the trade union movement, regardless of what you say he didn't follow the recognised/proper procedures even those who formed the breakaway miners union know that. By recognised procedures do you mean ignoring what the membership wanted like Joe Gormley had done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Whatever his financial situation, whatever his tactics during the strike the history books will show that he was right... What happened back in the 70's and 80's is now classed as history. (we too are relics.) There have been numerous 'history' books written about that period. Which of those history books shows (or even argues) that Scargill was right? Scargill was a self-serving greedy back-stabber who used the members of his union to further his own desires. Having lived as a leech on those union members for many years, he's now trying to sue that union to boost his own private wealth. A despicable little man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Star Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 he wasnt beaten by thatcher far from it he was beaten by a section of mineworkers not to far from here who decided not to strike and thought they would get looked after by thatcher "and what happened" I am not sure that any miners thought Thatcher would look after them - The ones in my family thought she was hellbent on closing the mines, that she was too powerful for the likes of Scargill, and by striking she'd manage to close down the pits a lot faster than she would if they were manned... If you personally know miners who laboured under this impression, I guess it's all down to personal experience... Yours wasn't the same as mine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.