Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer – Thursday 04 September 1947

Strike Now Costs 60,000 Tons of Coal Daily
42 Pits and 50,000 Men Involved
Government May Intervene

More than 200,000 tons of coal have now been lost to the nation because of the South Yorkshire miners’ strike. For every additional day the strike continues at the present level, about 60,000 more tons will be lost.

This morning’s latest position is that 42 pits, 12 more than on Tuesday night, are now Involved. These pits employ about 50,000 men, or more than one-third of the miners in the area.

The position at Grimethorpe is still one of deadlock. There is no sign of strikers being prepared to abandon their stand. Equally, the National Coal Board offer no indication that they are likely to give way without intervention from the Government.

It may be that this will come to-morrow, when Mr. Shinwell will meet the National Executive of the National Union of Mineworkers at the Ministry of Fuel. A declaration calling on the Grimethorpe men to resume work forthwith was issued by the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Mineworkers last night.

The Lengthening List

The following table shows the latest position:—

Pits Idle and Number of Men

Grimethorpe 2,650, Frickley 3,200, Thorne 2,540, Ferrymoor 400, Mitchell Main 860,  Barrow Main 1,500, .Barnsley Main 650, Houghton Main 2,600, Dodworth 1,300, Monk Bretton 1,100, Upton 1,100, Markham Main 2,500, Woolley 2,300,  Wharncllffe (five pits) 2,200, South Klrkby 1,900, . North Gawber 860, Monkton (three pits) 2,500 Goldthorpe  300, Redbrook 200, Yorkshire Main 2,400, Sliverwood 3,000, Aldwarke 1,300, Wath Main 2,020,  Barnborough 2,200, Darfield 930

Partially Working and Number of Men

Hickleton 3,200,  Kilnhirst 830,  Darton 380, Shuttle Eye 270,  Manvers Main 2,450, Hatfield 2,360, Bentley 2,930, Cadeby 1,500, Rockingham 1,070,  Thorncliffe 670

The strike spread yesterday to pits in the Rotherham area. Nearly all Barnsley pits remain idle.

I now learn that 1,000 men at Wharncliffe Woodmoor may return to work this morning.

Shift-by-Shift Changes

Among pits which became involved for the llrst time or were more gravely affected yesterday were:—

Darfield, Mitchell Main, Goldthorpe, South Klrkby, Hatfield, Hickleton,Yorkshire Main (Edllngton), Silverwood. Wombwell Main, North Gawber, Aldwarke. Wath Main, Barnborough. Shuttle Eye. Manvers Main, Cortonwood, Rockingham, Kilnhurst, Brodsworth, Frickley and Upton.

The situation fluctuated rapidly during the day. varying not only from colliery to colliery but from shift to shift the same pit. Cortonwood, Dearne Valley and Wombwell Main pits had normal attendances on the night shifts. At Darfield Main, half the morning shift worked, but the pit was Idle in the afternoon. The morning shift was normal at Wombwell Main, but only part of the afternoon shift went to work After good morning’s work at South Kirkby,the pit was brought standstill in the afternoon. Brodsworth pit, after being partially affected during the day, reported a full shift last night.