South Yorkshire Times, October 14^th 1944

Yorkshire Coalfield Council

“Saturday Afternoon” Dispute

Y.M.A. to Call Strike Failing Satisfaction

The Council of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, at an emergency meeting at Barnsley yesterday (Thursday), passed a resolution to the effect that failing satisfaction on the “Saturday Afternoon” issue, members be instructed to cease work on and after the week ending November 4^th.  There was also a recommendation that Barnburgh Main men should resume work immediately

Question of Principle

The chief resolution stated: “This Council meeting cannot depart from its accepted principle of refusing to recognise Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon as normal working shifts.”  Mr. Hall said that as the owners were seeking to include these week-end shifts it was decided that communications be at once forwarded to the secretaries of the South and West Yorkshire Coalowners’ Associations giving notice that on and after the week ending November 4^th all members would be instructed to cease work, unless their claims were recognised and the minimums of £5 for underground workers and £4 10s a week for surface workers were paid, irrespective of week-end shifts.  It was also decided that the Minister of Fuel and Power be advised of this position.

Mr. Hall said the delegates were so disturbed by the attitude of the owners that there was a demand for an immediate stoppage of work commencing as from to-day (Friday) throughout the whole county, involving 150,000 men and boys.  One could quite understand the attitude of the delegates as they, like the permanent officials, had no intention of giving up a custom of more than 50 years.  They were definitely opposed to recognising any shift after Saturday morning as a normal working shift.  He was able eventually to get the Council to agree to the resolution.  Mr. Hall said that in loyalty to the Government at this hour of crisis the Association were perfectly willing to sanction week-end work so that production could be maintained.

Barnburgh Position

Barnburgh Main miners, acting on the advice of the Y.M.A. Council, last night unanimously decided on an immediate resumption of work.  Some of the men, within three hours of this decision being taken had donned pit clothes and were working on the night shift. The men were addressed by Mr. A. Madin, secretary of Thorne branch, and a member of the Joint Board Negotiating Committee, their delegate to the meeting of the Y.M.A. Council, Mr. O’Malley, and Mr. D. Griffiths delegate of Hickleton Main Y.M.A. branch.

The 1,700 workers at the colliery have been on strike since October 2^nd over non-payment of Porter Award minimum to some 30 haulage hands at the pit.

When the Y.M.A. representatives met the South and West Yorkshire coal owners at Sheffield on Monday no decision was reached.  A meeting of the Barnburgh Main men was held on Tuesday, but it was decided to defer any decision until after yesterday’s meeting of the Y.M.A. Council at Barnsley.

An official of the colliery said the management did not stand to gain or lose a halfpenny out of the point in dispute as Porter Award payments were met out of the Coal Charges Fund i.e. by the State.