A member of London Met UNISON Branch sent me this moving piece the other day, and I agreed to publish here anonymously, on her families' behalf, in full and without any apology, in order to show some respect for the living:
In the eighties our union
invited four mining families
to visit and stay in some of our London homes
By that time - these families had nothing.
Living on hand-outs and charity
Under threats of eviction
Having already sold every asset scrap
We paid their fares to London.
Never was a meeting more poignant
A tough strong strident resolute man
His wife and daughter nervous by his side
He rose to speak - in the Council Chamber.
"I'm not a clever man, like these London Politicians...
I've worked down the pit since I were fourteen
that's thirteen years now and...
Although it's dangerous and hard physical work, I did it for my family.
We, in the mining community - have seen terrible things
The police brutality, we've come to expect...
But the Tory Judas SCABS are collecting their silver pieces"...
A clearly big man's shoulders began to sob - silently as he sat down.
A Durham miner's wife picked up the Welshman's theme...
"In the north tis the same my bairn's go to school hungry,
Are there any words in this world to explain why...
A child in the eighties, in the forth richest country of the world
Should be starving"? The answer is Mrs Margret Thatcher's hatred of the working
class.
A Derbyshire Miner - walked slowly to the front, and said with so much dignity...
"We miners are facing genocide - yes genocide, not from Gulags or gas chambers
But from the obliteration of our industry.
I see Arthur Scargill as the only person strong enough, to help us through these times"
Much to the surprise of the first Welsh speaker, his little girl asked to speak...
"I'm not very good with English, but I know how children feel,
I want all this to go away and my Mum and Dad to not row anymore...
About money and things, I've told Daddy he can sell my dolls house."
Can any one mourn the loss of such a monster who caused so much hurt?
invited four mining families
to visit and stay in some of our London homes
By that time - these families had nothing.
Living on hand-outs and charity
Under threats of eviction
Having already sold every asset scrap
We paid their fares to London.
Never was a meeting more poignant
A tough strong strident resolute man
His wife and daughter nervous by his side
He rose to speak - in the Council Chamber.
"I'm not a clever man, like these London Politicians...
I've worked down the pit since I were fourteen
that's thirteen years now and...
Although it's dangerous and hard physical work, I did it for my family.
We, in the mining community - have seen terrible things
The police brutality, we've come to expect...
But the Tory Judas SCABS are collecting their silver pieces"...
A clearly big man's shoulders began to sob - silently as he sat down.
A Durham miner's wife picked up the Welshman's theme...
"In the north tis the same my bairn's go to school hungry,
Are there any words in this world to explain why...
A child in the eighties, in the forth richest country of the world
Should be starving"? The answer is Mrs Margret Thatcher's hatred of the working
class.
A Derbyshire Miner - walked slowly to the front, and said with so much dignity...
"We miners are facing genocide - yes genocide, not from Gulags or gas chambers
But from the obliteration of our industry.
I see Arthur Scargill as the only person strong enough, to help us through these times"
Much to the surprise of the first Welsh speaker, his little girl asked to speak...
"I'm not very good with English, but I know how children feel,
I want all this to go away and my Mum and Dad to not row anymore...
About money and things, I've told Daddy he can sell my dolls house."
Can any one mourn the loss of such a monster who caused so much hurt?
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