THE Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, has declined an invitation to address a National Union of Miners rally in Barnsley, England, in June, Gerry Moriarty reports from Belfast.
A number of Yorkshire miners had threatened to boycott the rally because of the invitation.
Mr Adams was asked by Mr Arthur Scargill's union to attend the gathering on June 15th, five days after all party negotiations are scheduled to begin.
Mr Adams regretted that due to "prior commitments" he had to decline the invitation.
The invitation was made by NUM delegates attending a meeting of the union's Yorkshire Council chaired by Mr Scargill.
RJB Mining, which owns most of the mines in Yorkshire, said it had received numerous calls from miners upset at the invitation. According to a spokesman for the company several miners threatened to boycott the rally. He said the invitation was insensitive "to say the least".