Hull Daily Mail – Thursday 23 January 1919

The Labour Troubles.

Yorkshire Coal Crisis. Late last night it was stated that the whole of the Yorkshire pits, employing 150,000 men, would idle to-day to enforce the demand for a “dead stop” for 20 minutes food time, instead ‘ of relays.

Men Condemn The Strike.

The Manvers Main and Hickleton Main Collieries, near Mexborough worked yesterday. There is grievance at these pits. The men take half hour for meals, and take in relays. The custom has been in force for years, and has worked quite satisfactorily. The bulk of the men at these collieries condemn the strike, and there is a strong dissentient opinion amongst the men neighbouring collieries which are idle.

The Barnburgh Colliery, which is associated with Manvers Main, has the same relay system, and has no grievance against it. The strike at Barnburgh was ordered by the local leaders.

Yorkshire Miners Come Out.

This morning mine workers in Yorkshire finished the last shift, and the whole of the colleries in the county are now shut down. Over 150,000 men and boys are directly affected, but the stoppage will have far reaching effects, as shocks of coal in other industries are low, and the cessation of supplies will mean other works being stopped in the course the next week. There are no developments this morning, but later to-day the Council of the Yorkshire Miners Association will consider the situation. The

Strike Is Unpopular

with large section of colliery workers. At many collieries surfacemen, who are concerned in the dispute, were content with the existing arrangements, by which meals were taken in relays. There is also a feeling that the Miners Association forced their demands in order to absorb smaller trade unions surface workers.

It is probable the Government’s intervention will be required to settle the strike.