Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Saturday 18 December 1897
“Trade Union Tyranny” At Denaby
Letter From Mr. Charles Holmes
Mr. C. Holmes, of the Denaby Main branch, writing from Conisborough, denies the allegations of trade union tyranny made Mr. Chambers, manager of the colliery, in last Tuesdays “Times.” in which he denounced action of the union officials in respect to the stoppage at the Denaby Colliery.
It is true, says Mr. Holmes, that number of our men asked permission to go into Cadeby Pit. The terrorism, says .Mr. Holmes, consisted of five men standing in the road, telling the men as they came, that in the opinion of the committee of their own branch they were not justified in doing an act which was he only resented by the Cadeby men, and if they persisted in it the result might be disastrous to ourselves, and Cadeby men, alike.
We were careful to point out to the men that were quite at liberty two go if they like, and were not there to stop them, that we were in the interests of peace, and every man had full liberty to act as he liked—not much terrorism about this, you will say.