Strikes at Two Pits – Over at Barnborough – Continuing at Denaby

April 1955

South Yorkshire Times April 23, 1955

Strikes at Two Pits
Over at Barnborough – Continuing at Denaby

The 1800 miners at Denaby Main colliery who decided on Sunday to return to work after a nine-day partial stoppage changed their minds at a two hour mass meeting on Monday and decided to remain on strike for at least another week.

It is estimated that some 14,800 tons of coal will have been lost before the weekend. After Sunday’s decision men arrived for work on day shift on Monday. However miners is in the Haigh Moor and Barnsley seams refused to work. The pit’s largest coal producing unit the Parkgate seam worked normally. However, on Monday afternoon all work stopped. Negotiations which were to have taken place between the union and the management broke down.

After the second meeting, country coun George. M Hanson, Denaby Main N.U.M. secretary, told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter: “The men’s decision to stay out has been unanimous. Before the vote was taken we told the men that another meeting would not be held before Sunday. While the men are on strike the union’s consolation machinery for negotiations with the management cannot be operated. He mentioned that a mass meeting would be held on Sunday in the Miners Welfare Hall, Denaby Main.

The men are reported to be feeling very strongly about the two main disputes. One dispute started when colliers in the Haigh Moor seam refuse to work. They complained of the “unrealistic” pricelist.

The other dispute began last Thursday when the haulage hands and other pit lads employed in the Barnsley seam returned home. They alleged that one of their colleagues had been unfairly treated by the management. While men in the Haigh Moor and Barnsley seams were idle the Parkgate seam worked normally.