South Yorkshire Times September 25, 1948

Denaby to Work New Seam                       
Preparation’s Well Advanced
Haigh Moor Development
Miners’ Price List Still To Be Fixed

Denaby Main Colliery is now ready to begin work in a new seam, the Haigh Moor Seam, I learned from enquiries in Denaby this week. Specially selected men have been engaged for the past I2 months – in preparing the seam in readiness for fall-scale exploitation, and this work has now reached the stage whereby it has been possible for the management to open negotiations with the National Union of Mineworkers on the question of a price-list to govern the remuneration of men to be employed in the seam.

Mr. J. A. Hall’s Visit       

The Yorkshire miners’ president, Mr J. A. Hall, J.P., C.B.E., has visited the pit to discuss pricelist terms, in company with officials of Denaby Main branch of the Union, with representatives of the management.

These representatives include Mr.J.Kimmins, North Eastern divisional Coal Board’s number three Area deputy production manager for sub area B and Mr E Keane of the Board Labour Department, and the matter has now been referred for negotiations at Divisional level.

At present the colllery which employs approximately 1,360 men, works the Barnsley and Parkgate seams. The new seam hes a thickness of four feet and main roadways have been opened out at the pit bottom on each side of the shaft to a distance of 100 yards.

All the necessary machinery for working the new seam has been installed, and I understand that once the price-list has been agreed the word “Go” will be given.

Employment of further men at the-colliery is expected as a natural development of the -new venture.

Output target for the pit the oldest in the Mexborough area, is 11,760 tons a week. At the moment only three pits in this district are working the Haigh Moor seam: Manvers Main, Wath, and Barnburgh.