The Winders' Strike
The ultimate responsibility for the" winding enginemen's strike in the Yorkshire coalfield, which threatened to do more than 100,000 miners out of their " bull week " wages for Christmas, may be shared out evenly. These skilled workers went on strike because their fellows of the East Mid- lands Division have by local agreement been allowed an extra three shillings a shift, thus making the minimum shift-rate for winders in the East Midlands 29s. I Id. instead of the 26s. 11d. laid down in the national agreement of 1951. The Coal Board admitted this, but observed that there was no valid reason for departing from the national agreement in Yorkshire. This could scarcely commend itself to the Yorkshire winders. To them the fact that their fellow- craftsmen not many miles away are getting three shillings extra a shift for the same work seemed a reason sufficiently " valid." Their strike bore the marks of irresponsibility, especially since it came at such a time, but there are other factors. The winders of Yorkshire have thpir own associa- tion and ever since they were snubbed by the N.C.B. and the N.U.M, three years ago in their efforts to achieve official recognition, relations have been strained. The strike was indeed irresponsible but the N.U.M., like the N.C.B., cannot escape its share of responsibility for it. This bullying of small associations by the colossal unions some- times creates more problems, and deeper ones, than it solves. The strike has ended, but the reason for this is no doubt, as the secretary of the winders' association says, " the old Father Christmas appeal from the wives " rather than the exhortations of Sir William Lawther.
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