Meeting of the Surface Workmen

A meeting of the topmen employed at Denaby Main Colliery was held on Tuesday night in George and Dragon Clubroom, Mexborough, Mr Thomas Hough, organising delegate of the National Amalgamated Union of Labour, addressed them on the situation in connection with this dispute. He explained that the management of the colliery been requested to meet a joint deputation of underground and surface workmen to consider the modified terms and which the servicemen were prepared to resume work upon the expiration of their notices.

The communication, which had been addressed to the manager of the colliery, Mr W.H.Chambers was as follows:

“Will you meet a joint deputation, including our official delegate, and should they not be able to come to a settlement on all the points at issue will you give us

A Written Guarantee

That the cases in dispute shall be thoroughly investigated by our official and the firm if we get the men to let their notices lie in abeyance for 14 days?

Unfortunately, he explained, Mr Chambers had been unable to receive a deputation that afternoon, in consequence of having to attend a coal owners meeting, but he had promised to place the men’s communication before his directors, and receive a deputation on Tuesday. Mr Hough proceeded to explain that if the modified terms offered by the servicemen were accepted would mean that instead of ceasing work on Tuesday night, they would allow their notices run another fortnight, during which time they grievance will be enquired into by their union officials and the representative of the firm. They were he considered showing every

Willingness to avert a Strike

they wished the firm to enquire into their case, when he was sure they would admit that they had a grievance complain of, and to enable this to be done, and at the same time to entail no loss or injury upon the firm by a stoppage of work, they were prepared to let their notices remain in abeyance a fortnight. Nothing could be fairer than that. (Hear, hear).

He then proceeded to deal with the possibility of the firm refusing the men’s terms. If, E said, they could not come to a settlement with Mr Chambers, and the firm was not willing to keep the pit working another fortnight, while the matters in dispute were enquired into, it would mean a cessation of work on Tuesday night. Anyway, they would have to have a meeting on Tuesday, in one case, and he hoped it would be so, to pass a resolution withdrawing their notices, or to consent to let them remain in abeyance, or, in the event of a cessation in work, to appoint

Pickets for Wednesday Morning

he reminded them that the pickets would have plenty of work to do, and he assured them they would have a very strict sergeant to look after them. (Laughter). Suppose they had to come out, you wish to advise those who were appointed for picket duty not to do anything which would bring them within the law relating to intimidation. If they did, he felt sure the Denaby Main Colliery Company would not be backward in taking them to Rotherham.

If there was any intimidation use, let him use it, and if anybody had to go to court let it be him, because a society would keep his wife and family while he was in gaol, and when he came back they could not stop him from working, but the colliery company would have the power to stop any of their workmen if any got into trouble. He concluded by expressing the hope that the deputation would be favourably resolved that day, and said if there was a strike it would be because the colliery company forced it upon the men.

Meeting of the Miners

The Underground workmen employed at Denaby also held a meeting on Monday night at the clubroom of the Masons Arms Doncaster Road, when their representative informed them that no settlement of the top men’s dispute have been arrived at, but a joint deputation would wait upon the manager on Tuesday. If no agreement was arrived at to enable them to continue working, they would be forced to bring away their tools on Tuesday morning.