Pits, perks, and the end of Scargill?
In a field in Kingsnorth, Kent, a group of eco-warriors gathered in a semi-circle around the squat figure of Arthur Scargill. It was Climate Camp in 2008 and Scargill was there, of course, to extol the virtues of coal power.
It was a message his audience of students and environmentalists, there to campaign against the opening of a coal-fired power station, did not particularly want to hear.
His hair was thinner, his cheeks fatter and, given that the crowd numbered a handful as opposed to the thousands he was used to addressing, the megaphone was no longer necessary. But Scargill's willingness to plant his flag in hostile territory showed he has lost none of the pugnacity which won him fans and many enemies during the miners' strike of 1984.
He will need this fighting spirit in abundance for his latest battle. This week it was announced that Scargill, 72, no longer qualifies for full membership of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the union he used to lead. Officially the reason is simple: he no longer works as a miner or for the union, so he no longer qualifies for full membership and the voting rights which go with it.
But behind the scenes is a bitter dispute which has divided the tiny NUM, which during the strike had about 180,000 members and now has barely 1,600.
On one side is Scargill and his supporters, who are furious that the man who once embodied the union and everything it stood for should be required to leave in such ignominious circumstances.
On the other is the current leader of the union, Chris Kitchen, and members of the executive committee who say that Scargill is abandoning the socialist principles for which he has always been known.
The row began last year when Scargill took the union to the Trade Unions Certification Officer claiming that a candidate he had supported in the National Executive Committee had been unfairly penalised by the rules. Scargill won and the NUM was forced to re-run its national elections. But there was a sting in the tail.
The Certification Officer also ruled that the NUM's membership policy also contravened the rulebook – something the NUM claimed they knew was the case but had been prepared to turn a blind eye to. Membership, it said, should not be given to those not working as a miner or for the union. Scargill would have to relinquish his full-membership status and have it reduced to that of an honorary or retired member.
copyright：Imitatewatch.com is an online store. From basics to classics, a unique classic Replica Watches is the perfect gift for that special someone in your life.