Arthur Scargill versus Billy Hayes

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 878649.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Arthur Scargill versus Billy Hayes – charting the changes in union leadership

ARTHUR SCARGILL

Age 71

Appearance in 1985

Orange Brillo pad on top, segueing into shocking grey-tinged sideburns
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I remember him: raving loony communist with the intention of bringing down Margaret Thatcher’s Government.

Calm down. He was certainly a socialist, albeit one with a penchant for luxury cars, but there was no evidence that he solicited money on behalf of the NUM from the Soviet Union. Or for that matter Libya. He probably did want to bring down the Government though.

Is he not blamed for being the lead figure behind an ultimately futile strike that destroyed the coal industry?

In many quarters, yes. There was certainly dubious democratic merit to the strike action by his National Union of Mineworkers, and ultimately the NUM was squashed by the forces of the State. His reputation has not been redeemed by history.

So why are you writing about him now?

He remains a totemic figure, and the magnitude and significance of the 1984-85 strike action makes it a reference point for all future industrial action.

Have his efforts been surpassed?

Not yet. Indeed, it is a mark of how much the country has changed, and how little industrial action we now witness, that a 48-hour strike by Royal Mail employees heralds discussion of a dispute that led to ten deaths, destroyed an industry and exposed deep divisions within British society.

What happened to the victors?

Margaret Thatcher’s Government went from strength to strength. It consolidated its free-market legislative programme, introducing a raft of anti-union legislation. The party stayed in power for another 12 years after the end of the strike.

BILLY HAYES

Age 56

Appearance 2009 like a genial sub-postmaster

Why don’t I know him?

Probably because unions are a denuded beast from their 1970 incarnation. His union has been described, in the context of modern Britain, by no less an authority than Robert Peston, the BBC journalist, as anachronistically powerful.

That still doesn’t mean he can actually do anything though, does it?

Well, you are highly unlikely to be getting any postal deliveries next Thursday or Friday and possibly beyond.

Ah! The only time post is important to me is at Christmas. It’s not like coal which, once upon a time, I needed every day.

Watch this space. With Mr Hayes’s union being described as “suicidal” and the Royal Mail as “belligerent”, there is no immediate prospect of peace. There is no doubting the anger of CWU members, although the union leadership, which still gives Labour £1 million a year, is acutely aware that a long-running strike would accentuate the Government’s problems with the electorate.

So CWU members are in danger of going postal? Has Mr Hayes got the temperament to calm things down?

Well, he went to the same school as Wayne Rooney. Balanced against this, he is an avid George Orwell reader. Oh, and he also thinks that Len Goodman — the Strictly Come Dancing judge — could bring the warring sides together in a tango. He is also prepared to think the unthinkable: sipping chardonnay and nibbling vol au vents with Lord Mandelson would not be beyond the pale if it secures a resolution.

Sounds a bit different from Arthur Scargill then.

Mmmm.

[stokes11eg]

so you've sussed him out then,---

[brothermagrew]

No contest IMHO say what you want about Arthur but the man was a brilliant orator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zz6vq46hHs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[goinpostal]

Billy's no Scargill but this is just the rightwing press having a go, all he was just saying is as a workforce we are in a strong position and he is right!

[spilie]

arthur was the man everything he said was going to happen eventually happened, he had the full weight of the press turned on him, he had the full weight of the judiciary against him, and the thing that really killed him was the refusal of the other unions to come out with him, so for him and the miners to last as long as they did showed balls, and i am afraid in our industry today we have to many eunuch`s, and if we can give a fraction of what the miners gave then i will be proud

[BELIAL]

Same old establishment tricks . divert the debate into a discussion of personalities ,then rubbish the man and rubbish the cause.
Billy is spot on about us having much more industrial power than the NUM could have dreamed of. Take a look at the last strikes ,4days -cost to business £300 million . The fat cats hate losing money and we will cost them dear Hence the big media effort to discredit the humble ,under worked,overpaid ,light fingered postie

[Thorby Bislam]

At least Hayes has (unlike Scargill) called and won a national ballot.

[End of the road]

Arthur lost

Lets hope Billy learns from Arthurs mitakes, biggest was taking on a Government with tons of coal stored at power stations and pit heads. Arthur was a lot wiser then billy appears to be, I have met both and Arthur is far ahead on most points.
Arthur could speak with powerful conviction, hold an audience spellbound for hours . Billy would sent me to sleep after 10 minutes and he does not look easy.

Right battle................................. wrong battle field

we could do well to study the coal dispute

[wranglered]

it is insulting to even mention Billy Hayes in the same breath as Arthur Scargill....

Arthur was the King..a man of absolute principle who did all in his power to stop the decimation of the coal industry...backed by real heroes who went on strike for OVER A YEAR....

Makes me laugh when I hear how the vast majority of CWU members cannot afford to go more than a couple of days without pay....

So much for principle...did make me laugh when I see some poster from Nottingham talking about solidarity and resolve....yeah...right...

[spilie]

wranglered and to the miners

[wranglered]

wranglered and to the miners

glad u liked it spilie!!!!

how dare Billy Hayes suggest he has a greater mandate or whatever than Scargill....

oh I forgot....HE WAS MISQUOTED BY THE PRESS!!!

get used to it Billy....I suppose we will all be misquoting you when you and your buddies in CWU HQ sell out again......