A Day to Celebrate the Achievements in Defending the Dignity of Labour

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A Day to Celebrate the Achievements in Defending the Dignity of Labour

On Saturday, thousands thronged the streets of Durham once again to attend the 124th Durham miners Gala and Big Meeting. In near perfect weather in one of the largest manifestations of the British workers’ movement people of all ages from communities, workplaces and colleges took part in the banner parade which featured 41 bands and 85 banners – 25 of them from other than the miners’ union, such as RMT, Unison and UCATT. One striking feature was the Durham Miners Association (DMA) lodges with men, women and youth carrying their banners still fighting and standing up for their communities even though the mines have long closed. This organised character of the Durham Miners Association and the Durham Miners Gala is an inspiring example. A day to celebrate the achievements in defending the dignity of labour by taking up the work to build the workers’ opposition.

During the Big Meeting, thousands gathered to listen to the invited speakers. There is a class consciousness among the workers and their communities, but the implications of this for making a break with the old outlook, and adopting a renewal of the traditions of the miners and other workers in organising themselves and developing their own self-motion has yet to take root. This was the conclusion that could be drawn from some of the speeches from the platform. The theme of the strength of the working class and the importance of their fight to uphold the dignity of labour is, however, inescapable and one which no speaker can ignore.

One of the most telling speeches came from Geoff Shears of Thompsons Solicitors, who paid tribute to the DMA saying he did not know how it had managed to survive the final pit closure programme. Vibration white finger, chronic bronchitis and emphysema arose at that time when the union was on its knees and there was a massive financial risk in fighting test cases and the government refused meet its responsibilities to negotiate a compensation scheme. He pointed out that it was the DMA that backed test cases and risked everything it had so that its solicitors could prove British Coal was to blame for the miners’ injuries and diseases over decades. He said that as a result of the DMA’s decision and looking at the government’s own figures Durham miners and mechanics have the highest success rate and the highest level of compensation in the country but that success had helped all workers.

He said many have supported the union financially and as a result the DMA consolidates and will expand its services. He said that it has sustained and is developing the infrastructure of the lodges which keep people together and because of that the Gala will continue in their hands. He said speaking of the future of the mining communities that it was not insurance companies, not claims’ farmers, not legal aid funds who were prepared to fight but it was the DMA and other areas of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). As ever, he said you have to rely on yourselves and you have to rely on your union. He concluded praising the DMA leadership for the support for the Cuba solidarity campaign, the launch of the Cuba 50 to celebrate the success of the Cuban revolution next year and he remarked on the great solidarity of the DMA and other trade unions in their opposition to the US sanctions against Cuba and the campaign to free the Cuban Miami 5.

During the day, hundreds of copies of Workers’ Weekly were distributed to those that gathered on the racecourse field. The paper carried a statement from the Northern Regional Committee of RCPB(ML) that called on the workers to take the lead in building the nation anew and defeating the stranglehold of finance capital and the monopolies who are wrecking society and then taking society down the road of fascism and war. Dealing with the issue that this Gala comes on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 1984-85 miners strike, its lessons and the situation where the ruling circles are manoeuvring to once again try and line workers up behind the Labour Party to "counter the threat of the Tories" the party gave its powerful position that reflects the reality faced by the working class movement in its Durham miners Gala celebrations. Strengthening their unions, workers must also look to building their own modern political party so that the working class can put its stamp on the running of society, and empower the people to be the decision-makers not handing over responsibility and initiative to any other force, organisation or party that excludes them from decision-making. Only the working class organised as an independent force that resolves the political crisis of representative democracy in its favour can save the day.

The message of the day was that workers must take forward this successful defence of their interests and traditions to work to build a workers’ opposition that has its own motion and self-consciousness to strengthen their political and economic organisation. To bring forward new worker politicians that can intervene in the political process and fight for the programme of the working class and strengthen the work to take up responsibility for the fate of society. Such a programme fights to accomplish crucial tasks at this juncture of history: to guarantee the rights of all, for an economy that stops paying the rich and increases investments in social programmes, and the establishment of an anti-war government.