Scargill's pensioners
Although the 'Tory' press have done their best to find out unattractive things about Mr Arthur Scargill — witness e slightly lame story in Monday's Daily express about a large house which Mr Scargill wanted to buy but decided that he could not afford — they have not said much about the working conditions of the National Executive of the NUM. All National Executive members earn approx- imately £25,000 per annum. Each receives a free house which he can occupy until the death of him or his wife (whoever dies last). He has the opportunity to buy this house from the union at an artificially low price. His heating, lighting, telephones and rates are paid. He is given a car; and he benefits from a curious system of allo- wances which allows him to claim three nights' subsistence allowance (at £40 a night) for a meeting which only lasts a day. These arrangements, though generous, are not very unusual. But the Executive's pension scheme is. There is a fairly small pension adminstered in the ordinary way, but on top of it is added a grace-and-favour bonus. This was invented by Lord Gorm- ley, and is very valuable. Its distinctive feature is that its rate, and whom it is paid to, are in the discretion of the NUM President. This helps to explain the con- tinuing 'solidarity' of the Executive.
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