British Coal Strike: Work To Resume At 11 Out Of 14 Pits

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1947, Page 5

British Coal Strike: Work To Resume At 11 Out Of 14 Pits

(Recd. 10.20 a.m;) LONDON, August 31. The miners at li pits out of 14, which struck during last week, have now decided to return to work. The miners at the Wombwell, Darfield, Houghton and Dearne Valley collieries decided by large majorities to resume work immediately. The Grimethorpe strikers decided by an overwhelming majority to continue their strike over the call to work a larger stint. The miners at Ferrymore colliery, near Barnsley, decided by a two-to-one majority to join the strike.

The Grimethorpe miners held a two-hour meeting which Mr Arthur Horner (Secretary of United Mineworkers) addressed, and decided to continue the strike. The miners at Frickley and South Kirkby, who struck in sympathy with the Grimethorpe strikers, listened- to two addresses by the Minister of Fuel, Mr Shinwell, and then decided to resume. Mr Shinwell said later: “It is doubtful whether we can recover the loss of production, although the Yorkshire miners are capable in a normal week of 60,000 o 80,000 tons more. This decision for resumption was achieved only with gresjt difficulty.” Minister's Address Mr ShinwelFtold the miners: “The miners are the shock troops today. This is the greatest adventure ever engaged in to save the country. If you do it—glory be to God for the mine workers.” Mr Shinwell added that he was against prosecuting the mine workers. He believed in appealing to them.

“This dispute with the loss of 100,000 tons of coal has delivered a cruel blow at the prospects of maintaining the output in Yorkshire industries,” he said. Two hundred and thirty-five firms and 412 brick firms had less than one week’s coal in stock, while 2386 firms had less than a week’s supply. Decision Changed

The miners, after Mr Shinwell’s speech, refused to work, but changed their decision after Jim Holdcroft, a 44-year-old chargeman at the Frick - ley coni face, jumped on the platform and shouted: “I want to go to work. So do others, but we want a fair deal.” Lord Hyndley, chairman of the National Coal Board, in a statement on the Grimethorpe strike, said that two considerations of national importance overshadowed all else: (2) The men must honour the agreement negotiated by their chosen representatives; and (2) the nationalised coal industry must get the nation’s coal. Dismissed for Absenteeism. Delegates to a conference of the Lancashire area of the National Union of Mine Workers deplored the action of a minority within the mining in-

dustry in continuing practices contrary to the five-day week agreement. The conference disclosed that dismissal will be used to deal with habitual. absenteeism in the Lancashire coalfields. Four miners were dismissed at a pit in Burnley last night. The general secretary of the area (Mr F. Hall) said that those dismissed would find it difficult to secure re-en-gagement at another pit, and if they did so, they would be at the bottom of the ladder for up-grading. The Daily Telegraph” said that more than 20,000 miners were idle oh Friday, a further 5000 men having joined in the stoppage. Ten pits of thb 15 affected were at a complete standstill, and the dispute had cost the country 120,000 tons of coal. Another Threat “We want the men not only to end the stoppage, but also to widen the basis of their loyalty to their union, the nationalised industry, and the country we all serve,” he said.

The executive council of the Clerical and Administrative Workers’ Union has decided to call out on strike their 10,000 members employed in colliery offices throughout the country. The executive made the notice to strike effective from September 6.

The dispute is about recognition of the Clerical Workers’ Union as a body to negotiate with the coal board on behalf of its members employed in the coal-mining industry. The council, in a statement, alleges that the Coal Board has failed to honour its pledge to establish machinery to conduct negotiations with the union about wages and working conditions. Delegates from the National Union of Mine Workers to the conference of the Trade Union Congress, which will open on Monday at Southport, passed a resolution at a meeting yesterday, urging all members to resume work in the interests of the country. Woollen mills at Bradford, because their orders for coal have not been delivered through the strike of Yorkshire miners, have had to use their winter coal reserves to keep the mills working.