Double Disaster at Fife

from David Robinson, The Michael Pit, under the Firth of Forth, one of Britain's 50 priority pits, employed 2,070 men at the time of the fire om Saturday morning in which nine miners were killed, After preliminary talks between the NUM and the Coal Board it was estimated that areund 700 men will be redeployed in the nearby pits of Seafield and Frances whose developments are being advanced to absorb them. Another 150 men will be found jobs in five pits further afield, with a small number retained at Michael pit itself, But this would still leave well over 1,000 men without jobs. Twelve thcusand miners' jobs have been lost in the past six years and before last week's tragedy the unemployment figures had already risen to 4 per cent in the Pife area, Government encouragement to the building of new industry has resulted in the influx of a number of electronic firms. However, a large proportion of their staff is female and so this has had little effect in reducing unemployment among former mine-workers, The Scottish NUM is calling on the Coal Board to retain the 1,100 to 1,200 men at the Michael Pit until it is reopened, no matter how long this takes. The wion's vice-president, Michael McGahey, said after an executive meeting,"We want an assurance that the pit will be fully restored."