Chapter 386

"We're going to work! We want to live

"Oppose the government's forced closure of coal mines"

……

Outside the window were the noisy protests of the marchers, while the television showed repeatedly the pictures of the workers who had failed to negotiate and walked out of the mans building in disappointment. An hour ago, coal miners in Yorkshire started a strike. Then, in Scotland, miners in Kent started their own strike, and a nationwide strike officially began. On the street next to the hotel where shagliaosha lives, angry crowds are denouncing the Thatcher government and Ian McGregor, the head of the National Coal Authority. And it's Ian McGregor that she's eager to meet right now.

Based on the information obtained from the contacts with the British business community these days, Xie liaosha sorted out the reasons for the outbreak of the strike. About a year ago, Ian McGregor, the head of British steel, was transferred by Margaret Thatcher to the post of director of the National Coal Bureau. Mr. McGregor has made great achievements as the head of British Steel Company. He successfully transformed the British Steel Company with the lowest efficiency into the most efficient steel company in Britain, and almost turned losses into profits. This reform is at the cost of cutting half of the steel workers in two years. Mr. McGregor did not make life easier for the workers after he was transferred to the head of the British National Coal Bureau. He immediately put forward a reform plan to close 23 coal mines, which involved the employment of 20000 coal miners in the UK. Of course, the coal miners would not agree to the government's request, Led by Arthur scargill, chairman of the miners' Union, they had a serious conflict with McGregor.

Interestingly, just two years ago, coal miners once supported the strike action of steel workers, but this time, the action of the national miners' Union did not get the support of the British Trade Union Congress, because the coal industry has a great impact on the economy, the steel workers' Association opposes the strike, and the trade unions in the electronic, electrical and pipeline industries also do not support it, Only railway workers and dock workers supported the strike of coal miners. However, as coal plays an important role in British industry, the national miners' Union is the most powerful trade union organization in the country. Even without the support of the British Trade Union Congress, they can still launch strikes that affect the national economic development independently.

Xie liaosha looked at the time and was almost ready to start. He will go to the British Banking Association in a moment. During this period, he sold a large amount of Soviet coal to British Steel Company and British national power company through the relationship of banks, and gradually gained the trust of these two big British state-owned enterprises. In their matchmaking, shagliaosha contacted Ian McGregor through British steel. He hoped to establish a direct cooperative relationship with the National Coal Bureau led by McGrady to help Soviet raw coal gain a larger share in the British market.

Now the streets are full of parades and cars can't run at all. Xie liaosha can only walk to the seat of the city banking association. After about 15 minutes, Xie liaosha arrived as promised. The guild staff who had been waiting for him here for a long time took him to an office on the second floor. Belford of Royal Bank of Scotland got up to greet him. They talked about business for a while. About a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Xie liaosha and Belford got up at the same time. It was Mr. McGregor who came in. There are pictures of McGregor all over the TV these days. It's hard to recognize him.

"Hello, Mr. McGregor, this is Mr. ulyanov!" Belford introduced seryosha.

"I'm sorry, I've been in some trouble recently. I have to avoid those... Reporters when I come out, so I've been delayed a little on the way!" McGregor apologized for being late.

"Please don't care about that. Well, I'll leave you two gentlemen here. I'll go out first. If you need anything, you can call me at any time. I'll be outside the door!" Belford shakes hands with the two and turns to leave, leaving the office. Shagliaosha and McGregor continue to communicate.

Shagliaosha and McGregor shook hands and sat down. First of all, McGregor said, "I heard from former colleagues of British steel that you want to sign a long-term supply contract with our national coal board. To be honest, in the current situation, we welcome you as a powerful international businessman. However, you also know that we are a state-owned enterprise with the nature of the government and have the responsibility of stabilizing the domestic coal price. If you sell raw coal to us, you might as well go directly to those end consumer enterprises. Our purchase price is much lower than theirs! "

"Thank you for your honesty, Mr. McGregor! As a matter of fact, I'm not only here for the coal business. I'm here on behalf of the Soviet Union to discuss energy cooperation with your country. Besides coal, there's also cooperation in natural gas! " Xie liaosha said straight to the point.

"Soviet Union!" McGregor was surprised and almost jumped out of his chair. He had no idea that shariosha was actually representing the Soviet government. He thought that shariosha was a Russian from the United States. McGregor suddenly harshly scolded: "is it you Soviets who are behind this strike?"

"Please calm down, Mr. McGregor! On the contrary, we are here for friendship and cooperation with your government. We are willing to expand the scale of coal trade with your country during the period of workers' strike to make up for the gap of energy supply in your country during this period! Of course, we also have some demands for our interests, but you can rest assured that the government needs to consider these matters. We in the Soviet Union have only commercial relations with the State Coal Bureau! " Xie liaosha's face is smiling, patiently and meticulously dispelling the other party's concerns.

"I'm sorry, I'm just the person in charge of the State Coal Bureau. For business accidents, I can't help you!" McGregor is still some vigilant said.

"Yes, Mr. McGregor! Let me get to the point. I hope you can arrange an interview with Prime Minister Thatcher for me. You don't have to worry about the rest. If you agree, we will continue to discuss the business of coal supply. If you don't agree, it will be deemed that there is no such thing, and I will return home today! " Xie liaosha said that finally, the tone was a little threatening, and the taste was in it. He took out a contract from his briefcase and put it in front of McGregor. The price on it was much lower than that on the British spot market. As long as the National Coal Bureau handled it, it would definitely make a lot of money. Of course, the big head was still made by Glencore and the Soviet government. After all, the labor and mining costs of the Soviet Union were too low.

McGregor looked at the contract and looked at Xie liaosha. After a long time, he reached out and said, "I hope we have a good cooperation!"

Xie liaosha quickly took each other's hand and said excitedly, "happy cooperation."