were already on strike, balloting was more difficult for many miners who have to travel long distances to these pits.
Action began on Monday 21 February when 28 miners started a stay down Nake useWs Merthyr. They included Des Dutfield, WIte lodge secretary and also miners union area vice-president. The strike rapidly spread to seven more pits - MarPenrhiwceiber on Tuesday Tower and and Trelewis Drift, Johns, Coedely and Britannia on Wednesday.
An area conference on Wednesdav decided hold a pithead ballot on Thursday with the area executive recommending vote for strike action.
Lobby However, delegates from militant pits and a lobby of •Lewis Merthvi miners bitterly criticised ine area leadersmp or not calling, an immediate all out strike.
They pointed out that the strike mandate from December 1982 still stood. Over eighty per cent of South Wales miners voted has happened, and the miners al c now eager to renew the fight. Welcome On Thursday, the day ballot and their fourth the Lewis miners came to the surface. One hundred and fifty. striking miners from neighbouring pits, including area executive member Dai Davies gave welcome. Cheers greeted Der Dutfield when he spoke about the fight to save the pit.
"The •situation is far from hopeless. The seam we've been working will last for years. Over 500 jobs here have to be safeguarded. We're not prepared to let them get away with it and let other jobs follow. closing Lewis Merthyr pit.
will follow such threatened colliery is Britannia.
The lodge secretary Tom Bowden spoke to Socialist Challenge: 'No bloody way will we let them close these pits. At meetings at every shift here the response was immediate. won't stop the strike are withdrawn.
OLIC coalfields to meet discuss and picket this message "if you can't help us today, god help you tomorrow water workers have proved this government can nudged out of the way. We'll be calling on support from railworkers, seamen, dockers and drivers to stop all movement of coal.' Serious The South Wales very serious Colliery yorkshire NUI following Monday.
every coalfield to get solidarity action tingham, Lancashire, Durham, everywhere. government made a hasty and humiliating WC for a secure future.' Vigorous The South Wales miners can roll back the Tory over closures and redundancies in the coal industry. vigorous lead the rank, and tie has turned around the situation in January, when a majority on the area executive retreated from the fight.
this pressure, reluctant executive has been compelled to support the strike.
Pit strikes goes national Withirt hours of the start of the South Wales strike the announced Ind Yorkshire coalfieid would •join the strike trom the Coachloads of Welsh miners travelled at once to Tyne responst was tremendous as NUM leaders from Scotland. Not.
Derbyshire and. Kent acknowledge that this is a tight to detend miners job:
As we go to press a Scottish delegate conference has voted to call strike action trom ivondal Lan cashire and Nottingham executives overwhelmingly recommend strike action to ballots later in the week.
With this sort or solidartv the ories cannotrest easy in In February 1981 Welsh miners led the way with strike action against Tory plans for pit closures.
South Wales miners