December 17th 1880.
The Denaby Main Colliery
1,000 Hands Out Of Work.
To-morrow ( Saturday,) the fourteen days notice given to the men and boys engaged at the Denaby Main Colliery expires, and the whole of them will be thrown out of work.
This is because the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company persist in demanding payment for all coal before it is taken away from the pit sidings, and of course it is out of all reason to expect the colliery company can keep the pit going under such circumstances.
The miners had a meeting on Monday night and they strongly expressed their opinions at the conduct of the railway company.
A deputation have again interviewed Mr. Warburton, the manager, but he was only able to make the same statement to them that he did last week – that it was quite impossible, through the outrageous proceedings of the Railway Company, to withdraw the notices. The official sent down to the colliery by the Railway Company had fulfilled his instructions ” to the letter,” and under no consideration would he allow coal to be sent away unless he had received payment of the rates charged. A large quantity of coal was ready to be sent to Grimsby one day this week, and the vessel was waiting in the port for it, but when the waggons were about to start away with the coal, the official marched up to the train and enquired whether the last three waggons were paid for. Receiving a reply to the negative, he caused the three waggons to be unhooked and put into the sidings again. Thus the vessel was delayed. The inconvenience and loss to the colliery company through the action of the railway company during the past fortnight has been very great.
A correspondent to the Colliery Guardian states it is likely to be a subject of further litigation, The action of the railway company may cause the colliery company to again go to the Railway Commission in order to get their coal carried to it´s destination, the same as is that of other collieries. The railway company seem to be stolidly determined to do their utmost to thwart the interests of the colliery company, and thus the colliery has to be stopped. One thousand men and boys are unemployed, and hundreds of families are caused to be in want. This too, when the coal trade is gradually reviving, better prices are being obtained, and miners were about to revive an advance.
We are not surprised at the indignation which everyone in the district feels at such unwarrantable behaviour. We hope, that as a correspondent suggests the inhabitants of the neighbourhood will hold a monster meeting to take some action in the matter.
We understand that the Colliery Company intend to treat their men with every consideration circumstances will allow.