Alex Mills -Thatchers Aftermath

Opencasts

^To listen to Alex press play.

The councils then decided in some areas in Scotland, no very many. But Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire became involved in Opencast Mining. They didn't want many miners it was mainly farmers sons. 12 hour shifts. That started near enough after '85, 86'. And it has continued and it has expanded yet the villages are still sitting, fighting for whatever they require. Which they should not require to do. Because these opencast operators are taking millions of pounds out the Ayrshire economy. When the four pits were going – Highhouse, Barony, Killoch and Sorn. There was £6 million went out of this economy when they were closed. Instead of all that money coming back into the economy, we've got people who are routing the coal seams, taking the top coal and leaving coal there forever more. And that's factual. The Minerals Trust isnae a bad thing, because it helps sustain a lot of the boys football clubs and other people have taken money, quite a bit of money out of it. However I think 25p a ton in this day and age is quite ridiculous.

The Retired Branch

^To listen to Alex press play.

I soldiered on myself. I went up to the brickwork and got two or three shifts. I went to the Common. Went to the Big Mill. Got myself two or three bob for the family had to be reared too. They eventually became involved in saying to me. "Dad we're moving out of this area" But I said to them it will make no difference where you go, Maggie Thatcher has destroyed this nation. Once she got the miners, she took every other industry out individually. About 1996 Tommy Coulter phoned me , Tommy was an agent through in Fife and they boys had formed retired  miners branches and those organizations within the miners union become the best and bravest decision that these men had taken. Still looking after each other and the families. In 1996 on the 26th January there was a hearing in Newcastle crown court for Vibration white finger. And there were 9 men set-up to make the claims. And it was Lord Justice Stevenson (??) and he gave the decision against the National Coal Board in favour of 7 of those men. And that started the ball rolling because what was decided in England applied to Scotland and South Wales. And I became involved once more on the question of doing industrial tribunals against the DSS. I must say that was one of the most difficult tasks that I ever had to endure. We were only common miners and we were meeting the legal brains of the social security across the table. Also Doctors, who I must say in majority, were quite alright but there was an element who were anti-miner and I told them in no uncertain fashion that they were anti-miner. We had a tremendous success with our vibration white finger claims. However, Lilly decided to change the rules, but he didn't notify Parliament, So Alex went after him and I caught them out and it cost them £23 million across the country to be paid back to every recipient who had an industrial injury. The reduced earnings allowance followed. Social Security never advised people that they could claim reduced earnings allowance after an industrial injury, it used to be the old special hardship allowance. I'm very proud of that achievement. Only because of the fact that the people had been injured in the course of their employment and permanently injured. It was a permanent injury. The majority of claims are settled now for the reduced earnings allowance. Then after I got all this money paid back Lilley did put it before Parliament and took it off the men again. He changed the goalposts again. This government also didn't help matters any because I wrote to Harriet Harman (??) to try and get the reduced earnings allowance arrangement resurrected after what Lilley did to it. I got a reply but not from her, from an underling in London. You know she's a very busy person. She was to busy to give us back and restore the reduced earnings allowance arrangement through the social security system. That would have allowed the men to have claimed good cause. However in 1997 there was a further decision and it was NACODS which presented it he case to the court of session, for litigation against the National Coal Board for not protecting the men on the dust question.

The Fattest Cats

^To listen to Alex press play.

I have stated openly, the vibration white finger scheme was fair to the majority of all the miners who claimed. But I blame government for allowing and the law society for allowing private lawyers to become involved in the coal miners vibration white finger and emphysema bronchitis schemes. To date, I would say that millions and millions of pounds has wrongly went into the coffers of these solicitors. Private solicitors have made to the tune of thirty forty and fifty million pounds. It has created a multitude of sins against the miners and their dependants. Solicitors sprung out of nowhere, solicitors who had shabby buildings with one room are now a utopia who can go 7 and 8 stories high. Based on the amount of money this Labour government has given to the majority of the lawyers. So you can imagine the amount of money the solicitors and the Doctors have taken out of the very bones oh the men lying in the cemeteries. Oh my miners. I think it is a shocking indictment on this Labour government. I would say this scheme has brought many lawyers into line with the fattest cats in the world. At the expense of the miners, their wives and their families. On the question of how long it takes to pay out on both schemes, I personally think that this government gives the solicitors an x amount of money that goes into their bank account and they draw the interest off it. That is my opinion; I can't state that as fact.

The Insurers

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When this scheme started in the emphysema bronchitis. I smelt a rat, now I'm a member of the Labour Party. But when wrongs wrong its should be put right. And I'll tell you why…Where a man died after giving his life's blood to the industry. Lord Justice Turner, and I'm disgusted with him also. Allowed along with the trade unions. The National Union and the Area Union allowed Irish Insurers to destroy the arguments of the families. Where the miner had died by stating: there are no medical records. That to me was barbarous. People were claiming compensation, people who had looked after their father. Nursed them through emphysema, bronchitis, airways disease created by the dust that those men inhaled over the years. Lord Justice Turner along with the trade unions should have came to a reasonable decision and stated "If there are no medical records and people can prove that their father or their grandfather had died of this disease. But due to the fact that there were no medical records that money should have been made available across the board to all the families. Instead of that they carried on with that arrangement and are still carrying on with that arrangement today. However, I must tell you as I've been directly involved and had many arguments on this vexed questions of the emphysema bronchitis scheme. Even where there is the death certificate, where there are post mortem examinations; which I have personally went and got myself from the hospitals with the families. Irish insurers acting on behalf of the government are stating to the consultant who makes up the posthumous report. Please have another look at it if it states on the death certificate emphysema, bronchitis fumionicosis (???) silicosis, airways disease. In my opinion, to reduce the amount of compensation that's going to be paid to the family. Either the widow or the family what left, if the widows have already passed away.

Not blowing hard enough

^To listen to Alex press play.

I have a case at the moment whereby the man was turned down for emphysema bronchitis. The Consultant has now confirmed that he does have emphysema bronchitis, getting back into the system will be very difficult for that man. Because he was turned down by Healthcall, an organisation that were brought in, where the hell from I don't know. Because, I had people that had went to Drongan Bowling Club on the Saturday morning in the height of winter. It was snowing on particular morning. And there was an old man there who was on oxygen and had the oxygen bottle with him. Health call didn't turn up and I kicked up hell about that this guy phoned me . He says "Can you meet me" I says "Oh I can meet you alright for I'm the representative for Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire. Well I'll meet you at Drongan so he says. So I met him at Drongan. Where do you think he came from, that guy? New Zealand. I said what the hell do you know about miners working down the pit. I'm a technician he said. I'm not a Doctor I'm a technician. And where all these miners in Great Britain where being examined, it was by technicians. You had to blow into this machine and if the technician couldn't get a reading that was suitable to him. He claimed the men weren't trying to blow hard enough. That is the type of scheme that I'm speaking about; where the majority of the miners got a pittance for their families, very few got above the pittance. Totally disgraceful...

Cash for honours

^To listen to Alex press play.

Irish Insurers have now got another set of insurers assisting and their name is CAPITA Insurance. The chairman of Capita did resign, because he was one the people that  were involved in the cash for honours scandal that is ongoing at the moment and he resigned as chairman of Capita Insurance. So that'll let you know. I made a statement; I attended meetings with Irish Insurers in attendance. I personally accused them of sinister ways of working. They never spoke to me. They just moved off. But they did go to speak to old miners and asked "How long have you been waiting" These are the questions I challenged "Why were we waiting" These old miners who were still alive, the widows who were still alive and the families who were claiming. I claimed the scheme smelt, it was rotten and there was only one place for it; The Dung Midden, in the majority of cases. Many people have got nothing I can assure you of that. And that is in Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire.

The Saddest Case.

^To listen to Alex press play.

They're all sad cases, but Pat Ferguson from New Cumnock… Irish Insurers offered, I think it was the tune of 5, 6, maybe 7 thousand. I took that to the newspapers along with Pat and we got considerably more compensation after we highlighted it. But he died before he got full and final settlement which was sad. I've had many cases similar to that; Auld Davy Hendry from Muirkirk. In Dumfriesshire I've had many cases whereby the miners have died. I did persevere and push this old souls case and he got to the tune of £20000. He died three weeks later. Some of the miners when they were alive, the saddest and worst cases. Would receive money from the insurers and would be dead two days later. The legacy is left. Emphysema; Bronchitis. Very very few people have got the correct compensation for their loved ones. Horrendous! Horrendous! I would say the social security, if an investigation was to take place. In Ayrshire, in Ayr or Glasgow would have turned down 99% of my emphysema bronchitis claimants. That is tragic, all those people got nothing. All the offices know are changing on a day to day basis. The Prime Minister himself got involved in that and said there were too many people claiming incapacity benefit. Its sad, very sad that Thatcher closed all the collieries, closed all the steel works, closed the basic fabric of great Britain and still Tony Blair is going after my miners who are on Incapacity benefit. It's a sad, sad day and I'm a member of the Labour Party. I want him to go and to go soon.

The drugs have taken over.

^To listen to Alex press play.

Now I'm not submitting many cases, other than people complaining to me about the length of time its taken. 7, 8 and 9 years to settle up claims for their late fathers who passed away in the 1960's 70's and 80's. And I do attempt to look after some of those poor buggers who are on the drugs; Men and women. But I can assure you the social security have their mind made up; Nothing for them. The drugs have taken over all these communities in Great Britain. Not just in Ayrshire now, in Great Britain. Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Amphetamine, and its starts on a Thursday night and there all the same. It's a tragic situation. Ministers are saying we're tackling anti social behaviour, drugs, drugs, drugs. Their claiming that their near enough full employment! They're fabricating its all a myth and the newspapers are backing them, the newspapers back them. Murdoch's newspapers and that's the sad truth of the matter. There's no fight and that's tragic. But no matter what they say, if anybody asks me "What did you work at I was a Coal Miner and proud of it, I was proud of it to. A mans man, a miners man, a true representative of the men. No kidology, No flannel, do it right come hell or high water. And everybody should remember this, no matter who they are - You're only one week away from the dole.I don't think they'll be coal miners going underground. I'm convinced they'll be other measures used to extract either coal or gas from coal, or liquidisation of coal. It put into other forms for the energy requirements of the country. Aye, I'm convinced of that. Yes....