Slightly Fewer Absentees At Denaby.

There has been a slight improvement in the absenteeism rate at Denaby Main Colliery – a pit listed by the National Coal Board as one having a ‘doubtful future’.

A month ago workers from the pit were called to No. 3 Area headquarters at Manvers where they were warned that if absenteeism continued at its present level it must surely bring about the closure of the pit.

The ‘South Yorkshire Times’ learned this week that in a month there had been a decrease in the absenteeism rate from just over 32 per cent. to about 29.5 per cent.

Despite this slight improvement N.C.B. Officials feel that there is certainly room for greater improvement.

Technical problems on one of the faces have been overcome and there are prospects of the pit beginning to build up.

The N.C.B. Are working hard to achieve this end.

Yorkshire N.U.M. Headquarters at Barnsley have been keeping a specials eye on the problems at Denaby and a member of the Executive said this week that so far as they understood the situation there had been ‘a remarkable improvement.’

‘We have not had a fully report on the situation yet but we are told there has been full co-operation, between management and men and that the majority of the men have been working on shifts.’
N.U.M. officials from Kilnhurst Colliery are to be called to attend a meeting at Area Headquarters at Manvers to discuss the problem at Kilnhurst.