New Roof Holding Method Causes Strike at Cadeby

Because they claim that the unsealed seam of Cadeby colliery is a death trap, nearly 1700 men of the colliery refused to work at the colliery yesterday (Thursday).

The strike started on Wednesday afternoon when the fillers of the Dunsill seam refused to work following the introduction of a new method of roof holding which they claimed was unsafe. Instead of the usual packing and drawing off.

A system of caving has been introduced. The system has worked successfully and safely in other collieries but because of the shallow nature of this seam the men claim it is unsafe in Cadeby’s Dunsill seam.

A mass meeting was held at the Denaby and Cadeby Miners Welfare Hall on Wednesday evening but after two hours the men decided to stay out. The N.U.M. officials had been told that if they could get 75% of men to return to work, the manager would go down the seam and investigate the men’s claim. This

A Fair Trial

Mr Albert Bright; N.U.M. Branch president, said the system had been given a fair trial for some weeks, but he contended that instead of improving the position had become more unsafe.

Mr Abraham Holland a 45-year-old worker in the a Dunsill seam, who has worked at Cadeby since he was a boy of 14 years, contended “if this system carries on someone will be killed. We are striking because we want to prevent an accident. Prevention is better than cure.”

Mr Tommy Salt, N.U.M. branch agent, said that the system was also very uneconomical as so much steel was needed to hold the roo. F the management should recognise the men’s claim and refer back to the old system. We have already had some minor accidents because of it he said.

Visit to Barnsley

Yesterday morning coun. Jim Prendergast, N. U. M. Branch secretary, went to Barnsley to consult Mr A Collins N.U.M. Area agent and vice president of the Yorkshire N.U.M., Mr Sam Bowler. Mr Prendergast was asked to try to get the men to return to work then Mr Buller promised to negotiate with the NCB number three area Labour relations officer. Meanwhile the management have said that they may have to reconsider reintroducing the old method of roof holding in some parts of the seam if the men returned to work.

Last night Mr Prendergast told the Times that the men had the full backing of the N.U.M. branch in the claim that the new method was unsafe. The N.U.M. branch do not accept responsibility for the strike; it is entirely the fault of the management. “We have been trying to get the management to change the system for some weeks”, he said, “and strike action was the only action from which we could get results,” he added. Mr Prendergast with other branch officials will try to persuade some of the men to return to work when they hold a mass meeting on Sunday morning.