Posted By Tony abc jprhdnMurphy I read a great article recently about Arthur Scargil. My God this man was so far ahead of his time it is scary. He demanded that the government put measures in place to reduce deaths/accidents related to mining activities and fought with everybody(Thatcher et al)to further his cause. He was the first person to recognise that "danger money" did nothing in terms of risk reduction and was in fact an insult. He also pioneered the idea of suitable welfare and cleaning facilities for his guys. Having read some of the posts on here recently over people who still find it difficult to get management to adhere to correct procedures it appears that this guy is a bit of a hero, Good on yer Arthur

Posted By Pete48 Hmmm. There are some who would argue the opposite. They might doubt his contribution to social welfare. They might also argue that he did not pioneer the matters to which you refer. There are interesting parallels to Nye Bevan that you might want to explore. Finally there are those that would claim that "King Arthur" caused untold damage to the Labour Party and the trade unions. All opinion of course and not necessarily mine; just a view from the other side of your suggestion that he was a social pioneer and hero. A charismatic and passionately committed activist without doubt; social or safety hero, I am not convinced.

Posted By Pete48 Geoff, thank goodness. I see no reason why they couldnt tunnel their way if they really wanted to go :):):) have a good weekend

Posted By Keith Archer. I think that safety issues were raised well before Arthur Scargill. Vesting Day, January 1, 1947, saw the nationalisation of Britain's coal industry. Mining communities believed this marked the winning of an epic struggle for decent wages, family security and public ownership of a vital resource. The National Union of Mineworkers had drawn up a Miners Charter setting out a strategy for the industry and those who kept it going; it called for modernisation at existing pits together with the sinking of new ones; adequate training for young people; new safety laws; proper compensation payments for industrial injury and disease; a five-day week without loss of pay; adequate pensions at the age of fifty five, and construction of new towns and villages with good housing in mining areas. Being a young miner in the 1972 strike I believe that more was done for the mining community of the seventies and early eighties by Joe Gormley. Arthur Just carried on his legacy

Posted By Pete Longworth The right wing press certainly had a lot to do with killing off the Labour Party. It is stone dead now. It's interesting that the same right wing press is now turning its attention to health and safety. I wonder how long we will survive?

Posted By Pete48 Mitch, nobody exists in society on their own. Vested interest abounds everywhere. My point about Scargill was that many would say that his approach to solving the issues of the day (which I do accept) was not in the end productive for either the Labour Party, from which he eventually split, or the trade unions. Therefore, to challenge his status as any sort of working class hero was acceptable.