AND DREATHED THE DEADLY DUST. BETRAYED ONCE MORE, DENIED THE DOLE BY THOSE WHO HELD THEIR TRUST THEY ARE NOT HERE AMIDST THE THRONG THEIR HEALTH IS TOO IMPAIRED. WE MARCH FOR THEM TO RIGHT THE WRONG SO THAT THEY MAY BE SPARED Colliery, North Notts NUM I WORK in the powder magazine on the surface at the pit. Until 1977 I was a 'headings' man on top rate. Then at the age of 23 1 had a heart attack down the pit. At the time I was on f49.50 a week.
At a stroke, my money was cut to E38. Not surprisingly perhaps, my next heart attack came soon artert wy wvine standara nas drastically dropped through inflation.
This week's pay packet brought home £63. Last week was a 'good one had als on my wade ticket Mind you, I had to put in KOT SAUCCAr TO nnK CPOUT mIen who have to bring up kids on that sort of money.
There's a lot of talk now about E100 for surface workers. honestly we'd need £100 take home to keep up with prices.
Now that I'm on the surtace i see a lot of old men who've had to come up from underground due to iliness or injury. After years on the coal face they ve seen their wages CUL Bolsover •ISE DilE Quite our own behalf.
Some of the older men receive a disability pension from the Department of Health and Social Security. But as soon as they do a bit of overtime to keep their wages up -then it comes off the pension.
The NUM should tight for e proper rate protection so that no one loses out as a result of injury or I'm only 27 now. Unless there is a radical change, by the time I'm 50 I'll be polishing the pit managers* boots for 50p a time. And the Sun me I'm a highly paid miner!
We don't choose to go down the pit. My only option is the dole. And what could I do with E22 a week? I'd be better off if we took strike action for decent wages.
ne SusIAnaS a WOIe SUnKS. Whether it's down the pit or on the battlefield its us that have to fight the bosses' wars. There's not many bosses in society. But they've got the whip hand at the moment.
With a proper lead we could change the system and run it on
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PNEUMOCONIOSI. THE DEADLY DUST