ths 'THIS will go down in history as the battle of Saltley Gate. The working people united in a mass stand'.
Ten years ago, with these words, Arthur celebrated one union movement's victories. The holds lessons for today.
Unemployment Tobbla is Heath nurs pe parin a ad ane nedir ponce al the umions. occupations had proved that it was one thing to have a law, and quite another to use it.
"This is a small firm and it would be possible for a small number of people to get them out' judge to issue a writ in 1971. was a big factory you would need 2,000 police with teargas.
Heath's industrial legislation - 10 be lorn up by the dockers four monlater had cemons duos sur ne ma• 0ееле! the postal workers and now prepared have victory.
L WAS.
Scargill of the trade why it lost. yutalesl victory still fine speeches show naa aoublea in preparing, biggest through it said the only 'But if it Birmingham.
tic bosser provoked huge to take on the miners.
The Financial Times saw an easy Exactly six weeks later it ate - anu lal is wha the miners' dispute turned out to be, it said, 'the active support of the com munity as a whole essential guvenmenl tanca lo oolam il. l nal l.
This support was not won with their worth to the country halting all movement of coal, tor this they discovered two new weapons the flying picket and the mass picket.
Saltley Gate coke depot held the remaining stockpile police were shepherding 800 lorries each day. On Friday February miners began to pour into On Sunday all leave was cancelled and on fuesdav after a successful first day's picketing, and cons everything they had — alsations, iron bars, lorries driven at pickets, and widespread arrests.
By Wednesday they thought they Wing factories were ollowing the call for Sargill had The the stage was set.
by coma control maters as far as away. callic thousands upon thousands and dumbfounded. 'The police Scargill afterwards.
the gates". 10 February, the depot shut coal board opened for working people Socialist Challenge had won. But the day was being used for something else: nearby engineerbeing contacted, support which won East District Committee of the AUEW and from the Vehicle Bulders. A meeting of 400 stewards endorsed the call and Things began quietly. With 1,000 police, the chief constable thought he Then it happened. From Rovers, Acocks Green, trom the nearbv tactories. and trom Rover Solihull six miles fulllal over the railway bridge. The police stood chief constable _ot kırmingham took a swift decision, said 'He said "close : At 10.45am on Thursday Saltley gates had closed on the closed on the police, and closed on Heath. But a new door had 18 February 1982
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