WORK OF NACODS AND MINERS' COMPENSATION

EDM number 363 in 2000-01, proposed by Simon Thomas on 15/02/2001.

That this House acknowledges the valuable work done by NACODS under the guidance of Bleddyn Hancock in helping retired miners and miners' widows gain compensation payments; condemns the action of those who are attempting to denigrate this work by accusing NACODS of taking advantage of sick miners by claiming an excessive levy from their compensation payments to pay for their costs; notes that NACODS office costs associated with a 13 year campaign are not being reimbursed and that only the legal costs are being reimbursed, much of which is still outstanding; notes NACODS in Wales has spent 90 per cent. of the last 13 years pursuing work-related chest, vibration white finger and hearing loss cases which is a costly business undertaken by a small union with few resources; notes that NACODS members agreed to these fees; notes that the vast majority of successful claimants only pay 5 per cent.; notes that the retired members' dues are only ú28 per year and members' widows pay nothing; notes that NACODS fought the National Coal Board and the British Coal Corporation under successive Conservative governments and won using the same funding system without any complaint from Labour; and regrets that New Labour is standing in the way of a full and just settlement for the miners.

This motion has been signed by a total of 6 MPs.