Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Wednesday 13 February 1929
Strike Threatens Gas Supply.
Mitchell Main Dispute.
1,400 Men Idle Because Two Got Notice.
There had not yet been any move towards a settlement, according to the latest news received last night, regarding the lightning strike of 1,400 employees at the Mitchell Main Colliery, one of the largest pits in the Wombwell area.
The stoppage has a somewhat serious aspect for Wombwell, the township being dependent upon the colliery for gas in a crude form. It is hoped, however, that the supply will not be cut off even if the strike continues.
The strike has arisen out of the management giving notice to two men who had been engaged onsetters in the pit bottom, and a protest the men hare struck work.
An official of the Mitchell Main branch of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, in a statement to a “Sheffield Telegraph” representative yesterday, explained that it had been the custom m the past for certain men employed in the pit bottom to carry out certain duties when the pit has “ played.” Some time ago the management decided that staff men should do this work and that the onsetters would have to break work in the same manner the other employees when the pit played.” Recently this order was reversed for some special reason, but the onsetters affected declined to go to work. The facts were considered by the management, and the two men were given five days’ notice to terminate their employment.
The notices expired on Monday, and during the week-end the men held a branch meeting and decided unanimously to remain away from work until the two men have been reinstated, ‘“There has been good deal of ‘pin-pricking’ for some time,” he said. “We were told that it was for economic reasons that the staff men had been delegated to do the work. When it suited their purpose they wanted the onsetters to come back again.”
Men’s Attitude Criticised
Mr. G. E. Sellars, manager of the Mitchell Main Colliery, said in an interview yesterday that the stoppage was due entirely to the action the men themselves. The colliery company did not desire it. He explained that the two men concerned were asked to work on Saturday morning, but declined to so. The branch of the man’s union took the matter up on behalf of the men.
“The men’s representatives.” said, “adopted a domineering and unreasonable attitude. They demanded that the notices should withdrawn at once, and said if I did not withdraw them I should be sorry for it afterwards. I could not possibly have other people interfering with management questions, and in the interests, of discipline, I was morally bound to stick to the decision.”
Most of the men employed the colliery live Wombwell, but a few come from the Stairfoot, Darfield and Barnsley districts. When the Wombwell Urban Council met last night, it was reported that the town obtains its gas supply from the colliery crude form, and afterwards it is distributed from the Council’s gas works.