Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 04 August 1893

The Great Strike

All the pits were set down last Friday, and implied that the great strike had begun. The men in this district have brought out their tools from a prudential motive, as they stood a risk of being buried by the almost continuous fall from the roof had they been left in the workings, for, say, a couple of months.

As far as the Mexborough district proper is concerned about 4,000 men are thrown out of work by the strike. They consist of the workers at Denaby Main, Manvers Main (two pits), Wath Main, and Thrybergh Hall. The new Cadeby pit is not included, because it is not yet, and will not be for some time, ready for the ordinary complement of miners.

In the Wombwell district 3,500 men are affected. They are the men at Wombwell Main, Mitchell’s Main, Darfield Main, Lundhill, and Cortonwood. Lundhill appears to be the only colliery where the men have not left their tools behind, as in all the other collieries the management have found a safe place for the deposit of the tools. Mitchell’s Main was the first colliery to set down, this being done at nine a.m., and it was done as a token of respect to the late Mr. Josse, of Grimsby, who had a large interest in the Mitchell’s Main Company, and whose interment took place on Friday.

Note:

A massive, pivotal miners’ strike—often called the “Great Lockout of 1893″—occurred in 1893, involving roughly 300,000 coal miners across England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Midlands. Triggered by proposed wage cuts of 25% during a coal price slump, it saw widespread disruption and concluded after about 16 weeks, marked by the infamous Featherstone Massacre.

Causes: Following a 35% drop in coal prices, mine owners in the “Federated District” (a group of regional mining districts) demanded a 25% reduction in wages. The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) rejected this, leading to a lockout starting in July 1893.

Approximately 300,000 workers were involved across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, and other areas.

Featherstone Massacre: On September 7, 1893, at Ackton Hall Colliery in Featherstone, West Riding, soldiers were called to deal with protests. They opened fire, killing two miners, James Gibbs and James Duggan, and injuring others.

Outcome: The strike ended in November 1893, largely as a victory for the miners who successfully rejected the 25% wage cut and forced the owners to submit to a conciliation board, strengthening the role of the MFGB.