Saturday 14 May 2011

Another Principled Socialist


"Up The Workers!"

Anyone remember that firebrand of socialism, Arthur Scargill? Always banging on about unfairness and privilege, castigating the rich and the feather-bedded bosses...

It has been observed that when Arthur took the top job at the NUM he had a huge union and a tiny house, but by the time he retired he had a tiny union and a huge house - but it seems it was even better that that.

He'd also managed to wangle a rent-free flat in the exclusive Barbican "for life" paid for by his now emaciated union, who currently can't afford to have a president.

Naturally, the highly principled Arthur Scargill wants to stand by the amazingly generous clause in his contract of employment, amended a few months before he retired. Never mind that it is costing those few left in the NUM about £20 each per year for his ongoing perk.

The Penguin

13 comments:

microdave said...

I found this bit staggering:

"Yet the NUM, which boasted more than 400,000 members in the days when coal was king, now has fewer than 1,700 miners on its books"

Strikes me (pun?) it would be easier for the union to close down, and re-open under a different name.

Captain Haddock said...

This article simply demonstrates & reinforces just how thick the average Union member really is ..

Scargill conned them, for all he was worth during the Miner's strike ..

They went cold & hungry .. but not so for "King" Arthur ..

They lost their livelihoods .. "King" Arthur kept a tight hold of his own ..

Many lost their homes .. "King" Arthur managed to secure a luxury pad in the heart of London for himself ..

And he's still conning them .. but its taken until now for them to realise the fact .. DUH !!!

Budvar said...

Knock Scargill all you want, but he's been proven right and will be moreso as the years go by.

I remember all the bollox being spouted about how much cheaper it would be to ship coal halfway round the world from S.Africa, Australia and Poland than 5 miles down the road.

You'll also remember the bollox spouted about getting shut of all those dirty coal fired power stations and building oil, gas and nuclear powered ones.

Oil about 70p/l + vat. Coal I can buy it at £100 a tonne. Gas we're at the end of a pipeline from Russia and if they have a dispute with anyone between there and here off goes the tap (Like Ukraine a year or 2 back). Not quite so cost effective now is it?

That's all before the money wasted on redundancy payments and dole for coming up to 3 generations.

Budvar said...

Oh yes and nuclear, Fukushima ring any bells?

Captain Haddock said...

@ Budvar ..

Please read again what I posted ..

Scargill had his own agenda & he cruelly, ruthlessly & selfishly misled and misused the miners as convenient tools, with which to pursue that agenda ..

A number of lads with whom I went to school, ended up following their fathers "down the pit" ..

(Incidentally, judging from your Avatar, we both hail from "God's own County") .. ;)

Anonymous said...

Educate yourself read "The Enemy Within" by Seamus Milne then let's have a discussion regarding the Miners Strike.

I understand that the flat that is being referred to is the only one that has not be bought - maybe the aim is for the NUM to get Arthur out, purchase the flat and then sell it and make massive amounts of money. Anyone thought about that? Of course Arthur would never allow that to happen as he is a principled individual who does not believe in privatisation and that would include buying a council flat.

Lady Virginia Droit de Seigneur said...

Maids in NY hotels are uniformly unattractive so I assume he was either pissed or she stumbled upon him after he'd just finished watching a grumble flick on the in-house movie system.

If he was desperate for a shag why didn't he just head for the hotel bar - there's usually a stray hooker or two in NY hotels.

Ed P said...

Num, Num, Num..
Scargill is a self-promoting piece of shit who destroyed the mining industry with the most misjudged strike ever. That he himself has prospered from it is no surprise. Most thought at the time that either he was unbelievably stupid or a government stooge playing a double game.
£20 per NUM member only just about pays for upkeep to his hairpiece - presumably the taxpayer is still subsidising the rest of his gross income.

Budvar said...

So what's your theory on the destruction of the steel industry, ship building, heavy engineering, textiles etc?

Is old Scargill responsible for their demise too?

Anonymous said...

Ed P You are spouting right wing rags - again EDUCATE yourself read "Enemy Within" by Seamus Milne - once you have done that - then we can have a discussion on the 84/85 strike and Arthur Scargill.

Until then I am not prepared to discuss the issue with someone who educates himself via the Daily Mail/Mirror and quotes their rubbish as being the truth.

Anonymous said...

Budvar,

Scargill wasn't directly responsible for the demise of heavy engineering, shipyards and the steel industry.

He was though, along with the likes of Red Robbo and the other firebrand union leaders of the time ultimately to blame.
Scargill and his like held the country to ransom for years. Remember British Leyland? Three day weeks? Strikes by some union or other on virtually every news bulletin?
People grew sick and tired of it. It took Maggie to stand up to him.
Even today, those tinpot leaders running the BA dispute would rather strike than sit at a table and discuss the issues.
We have public sector unions threatening strikes over austerity measures. When will one of them come out and admit that the public sector is bloated with workshy pension grabbers?

Budvar said...

So what you're saying is that to rid the country of "Firebrand union leaders", we had to destroy our manufacturing base. Is that about the size of it?

As for the 3 day week in 74, are you saying it was the miners that were solely responsible?

You might want to take a step back and look at the big picture. Can you remember the big story of 73? You know the one about Israel and the Yom Kippur war and the wests backing of Israel?

Do you recall the repercussions of this?
The oil embargo by opec and the lines at petrol stations, they then went on to you could only buy fuel every other day (odd and even number plates on given days as I recall) and then we had petrol coupons printed up to ration fuel. Any of this ring any bells?

You couldn't get goods to/from market because all the trains and lorries ran on... Bueller..Bueller...that's right oil, only you couldn't get any.

Now baring in mind at this particular time it was the height of the cold war.
People were talking about mobilising troops, kicking arse and taking the oil we needed by force.

Can you think of a response by the Russians and eastern bloc should we have done this, particularly when the Arab forces who attacked Israel were backed by...Bueller...Bueller.. that's right the Russians?

So along comes the NCB to the miners and says "we're halving your pay, doubling your hours and we want the right to the virginity of all your daughters" or something equally ludicrous they knew the miners wouldn't go for and be out on strike before you could say "Arfur bleedin Scargill".

Now all the power cuts and 3 day weeks are no longer the fault of those rag head oil sheiks, the calls for war are muted and the focus is now all on Arthur and the miners holding the country to ransom once again.

Back on topic regarding Arthurs crappy union flat in the barbican. I notice outcry of Thatcher and her government being rewarded with seats in the HoL is drowned out by the chirping of crickets.

Anonymous said...

For your information the right wing rag that you use to have a go at Arthur Scargill the picture was of Arthur and Nell was taken NOT outside the Barbican but at an anti-war demo - to the left of Arthur was Tony Benn on the side of Nell Myers was a friend. The rag took everything out of the picture except Arthur and Nell and super impossed it on a back ground of the Barbican. What do you say about that??????