Coal Deadlock
It is almost beyond belief that at this moment nothing whatever is being done by the miners to secure a rapid increase in the output of coal. It has been agreed in principle that they should work longer hours. It ought to be possible to agree that the extra time should be put in in Saturday shifts instead of by the extension of the working day by half an ho ar, despite the fact that the Coal Board favours the longer day and the Prime Minister has asked the miners to work it. But because the miners will not agree that bonus should only be paid to men working six shifts the whole negotiations have broken down. In effect, the miners say that bonus should be paid to men who work five shifts, and that no penalty whatever should be imposed on those who absent themselves for the sixth—in short, that they should work a longer week only if it suits them. Now a lot has been said about the hardships and dangers of the miner's life, and two recent disasters involving the death of 140 men have made it unnecessary to repeat it. But mining is the miner's job, and there is a limit to the concessions which can be made to those who will not do that job thoroughly and regularly. The men's leaders have said that they should temporarily forget about the five- day week ; that they should abandon all restrictive practices ; and that Poles and immigrant miners from Europe should be admitted to the pits. They could do no less. That the five-day week should have been introduced at all at this time was utterly inexcusable ; that there should still be restrictive practices in the industry is little short of criminal, and that willing men should be refused permission to work in the mines is downright insane. To make concessions in these matters is only to admit the possibility of common sense. Much more is needed_ If the unions cannot discipline their members, the Coal Board must do it. The managers, who have not even been consulted in the recent negotiations, must be allowed to do their job. There is really no case for forbearance towards the 2,600 men on strike at Grimethorpe Colliery, where there have been 26 un- official stoppages this year, and the thousands of other Yorkshire miners who are now joining them in their effort to maintain a restrictive practice. The time for the conciliation of men who will not work even to save their country from disaster is long past.
