Durham Mining Museum - Newspaper Articles (original) (raw)
3rd September 1937, Page: 445, Column: 2
Labour and Wages
North of England
The ascertainment which nominally governs Northumberland miners' wages shows that July was not such a good month as had been anticipated. The yield was 29.42 per cent. on the basis wage as compared with 29.52 for June. As the minimum percentage for the county is 40 per cent., the deficiency to be made up is 10.58 per cent.
Half the non-unionists at the Tanfield Lea Margaret pit, Co. Durham, have joined the union following the action of the local miners' lodge in handing in notices terminating the employment of its 600 members on this question. It is expected the remaining outsiders will join up before the notices expire to-morrow (Saturday).
At a meeting of the Consett Collieries' Federation Board last Saturday it was reported that the number of non-unionists had been reduced from 300 to 259. The board has tendered notices to the managements of the eight collieries in its area terminating the employment of its 5,000 members on the non-union issue.
For the second time within a few days 60 miners at the Ouston E pit, Co. Durham, had to return home last week owing to a fall of stone.
Nine thousand miners employed at the Lambton, Hetton and Joicey Collieries, Co. Durham, balloted on Tuesday to decide if strike action should be taken against non-unionism. The collieries involved are Eppleton, Hetton Lyons, Lambton, Philadelphia, New Herrington, Harraton and Silksworth. The Houghton and Elemorecollieries in the same group are not concerned, these lodges not being members of the Lambton, Hetton and Joicey Collieries' Mining Federation Board.
After a week's stoppage 1,500 miners resumed work on Monday at the Rising Sun Colliery, Wallsend (Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Co., Ltd.). The men struck work on August 21 because it was alleged the management had declined to pay 22 fillers to clear away a layer of stone. It is understood the stone prevented the men from continuing their normal employment of coal filling until it was removed. The men were instructed to clear the stone, but a dispute took place regarding payment. The miners were instructed by the county officials of the Northumberland Miners' Association to continue working while negotiations were carried out with the owners. This advice was rejected and an unofficial strike was declared. The Wallsend G pit which serves as a pumping station for the Rising Sun pit was affected by the stoppage. The miners have decided to appeal to the Court of Referees against the decision to refuse them unemployment benefit from the week they were idle. A date for the hearing has not yet been fixed, however.
A death benefit fund has been started by the Ashington Collieries Federation, Northumberland, which comprises about 10,000 miners. Under the scheme each working member will pay 2d. weekly and those unemployed 1s. a quarter. Death benefit amounting to £25 for a full member and £15 10s. for a half-member will be paid to the dependants of any member who dies.
For the second time within a week putters struck work at the Washington F pit, Co. Durham, last week as a protest against the alleged over-working of ponies. Work was later resumed pending negotiations. It is alleged by the men that some of the animals are worked continuously for 12 to 16 hours with the exception of a short rest.
The putters at Hazelrigg, Burradon and Weetslade collieries, who had handed in notices in connection with a wages dispute, decided to withdraw their notices on Tuesday pending negotiations for a settlement on the question.
