A Postscript and Some Conclusions

In November 1977 the miners rejected a proposal for a productivity bonus scheme by 55.75 per cent to 44.25 per cent. The scheme would have led to the establishment of norms by method study for coalfaces and the incentive bonus would have been based on individual faces or the average for all faces in a pit. Haulage and surfaceworkers would have received their bonuses on the basis of productivity in their pits and workers at workshops, area and national levels would have obtained a bonus based upon the appropriate geographical unit. Following the ballot Joe Gormley, the NUM president, announced that he would never again attempt to introduce a national productivity bonus scheme. In December, however, the NEC voted to allow Areas to introduce schemes. The NEC decision caused considerable furore and controversy because it seemed to flaunt the verdict of the pit-head ballot. The militant coalfields of Kent, South Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire attempted to obtain an injunction restraining the NEC but it failed. Through December 1977 and January 1978 the various coalfields voted to accept productivity schemes. Despite their massive votes against bonuses Yorkshire, Scotland and South Wales succumbed to internal pressures from workers at highly productive pits and to the pressure of comparisons with the benefits being received by miners in neighbouring coalfields. The volte face of December 1977 represented a triumph for the right wing and created considerably disunity within the NUM.