Pit Boy’s Strike

June 1889

Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 14 June 1889

Pit Boy’s Strike

A contemporary refers to the recent dispute at Denaby as follows:

A colliery manager’s lot is not a happy one. As a case in point take petition of the gentleman who is responsible for the working of the Denby Main Pit, one of the largest in South Yorkshire.

The pit lads have a grievance about their rate of remuneration, and efforts have been made to settle it on an equitable basis.

But the youngsters (some them rather big one.) are not satisfied, and the result has been that a section of them have been instrumental in temporarily stopping the work.

It has been stated that pit lads are more difficult to deal with than the men, and at Denaby Main this would appear to be so.

According to the newspaper reports, the lads were all powerful for the time being, and would not even listen to the counsel of men employed in the mine and connected with the Miners’ Association.