Topmen’s Meeting at Conisborough

A well attended meeting was held at the Eagle and Child, Conisborough, last Sunday evening, for the topmen employed at the Cadeby Main colliery, under the auspices of the National Amalgamated Union of labour.

Mr W. Kitchen, president of the district committee, occupied the chair, and was supported by the local committee, Mr T. Brough (Parkgate), and Mr A. J. Bailey (Sheffield).

The chairman, in opening the meeting, said he was pleased to see so many present, and taking that meeting as a criterian, it augured well for the future, showing as it did that topmen were now becoming aware of the fact that as workers they had not received in the past the percentages they ought to have done (here, here.) This was undoubtedly to a large extent their own fault. They had had not paid sufficient attention to organisation, which fact the employers had not been slow to recognise, and take advantage of. But he was pleased to see that there were more topmen inside trade unions now than ever there had been. (Cheers.)

A resolution was then moved by one of the workmen, expressing the approval of the Cadeby Main men for a 10% advance for all surface workers.

Mr T. Brough, in supporting the motion, said that the position of colliery serviceman from a trades union point of view was now what it ought to have been in 1888, but because they as a body were neglectful of their interest at that time, it was reason why they should not still pursue the same foolish policy, but still at the same time it was not wisdom to be led away by enthusiasm or the excitement of the movement. What was required was for the men themselves to consider whether they in their own opinion considered that they were adequately remunerated for their services. If sthen it would be foolish to ask for any advance; If not, if they considered that they were entitled to a wage that would admit of them and their families living in a decent state of comfort, and that there present wages would not do that; then it was there duty as honest men to endeavour to bring their wages up to that standpoint.

He might tell them that a large majority of servicemen in South Yorkshire argued that they were entitled to an advance, and were urging the Federation E. C. to at once make a demand for it, but when that demand was made as it undoubtably would be made. It was desirable that it should be an unanimous demand. He (the speaker) did not want any man to put up his hand in favour of going in for an advance if he did not mean to do his level best to bring it about. He asked them to vote according to their own ideas, and not to be led away by anything that had been said, but once they had voted in favour of the advance to keep the idea fixed in their minds, and be like the boy in the soap advertisement, never be happy till he got it. (Applause)

The resolution was put to the meeting and carried unanimously

Mr A. J. Bailey, in supporting a motion called on all topmen at Cadeby Main to join the union, said it was only by organisation that the topmen could expect to gain any advantage as regards advances of wages or better conditions of labour. (Hear, Hear). if they had paid more attention to organisation in the past today they would not have had to deal with such questions as the Saturday play day, nor would they have had the great inequality of wages which existed at the present time. The topmen’s actions had been subject to a great deal of criticism lately and at a place not so very far away, where a strike had only just been averted. It had been pointed at how absurd it was that 50 men should be able to stop a colliery. But he had said if 50 men were working at any colliery, and were not being paid for the time they worked, they had a perfect right to say: “We intend being paid for the time we work or an equivalent to it. (Cheers)

He then went on to deal with the good work the union he had the honour to represent had and was doing for the surface workers. Their great difficulty had been in the past that whenever they had had a grievance of a dispute at any colliery they had not been able to meet the parties they really had to deal with – he meant the coal owners Association – now he believed as far as their union was concerned that difficulty bad been removed, and he hoped in future that before being compelled to resort to extreme measures; they would at least be able to get their case thoroughly discussed. (Hear, Hear). He urged upon all men to join the union. Then, he said they would not have men – able-bodied men – working 2s. 10d and 3s. per day. That was a long way from a living wage that was sometimes talked about, and which in the near future he hoped topmen would be able to talk about and enjoy. (Hear, Hear).

In conclusion he said recent events had shown that topmen played an important part in the production of coal. There in his opinion they had a right to ask for a fair share of the profits and the commodity they helped to produce. (Applause)