The growth of Syndicalism in South Wales and its bearing
on the minimum-wage agitation is strikingly illustrated by a pamphlet, entitled "The Miners' Next Step," published in Tuesday's Western Mail. The pamphlet, which was published at Tonypandy early in the year, but has now been withdrawn, advocates the formation of a South Wales Miners' Industrial Organization for the purpose of carrying out a policy of open hostility to the employers with a view to eliminating them altogether and establishing an industrial democracy. To this end it is suggested that the lodges of the Organization should "as far as possible discard the old method of coming out on strike for any little minor grievance, and adopt the more scientific weapon of the irritation strike by simply remaining at work, and so contrive by their general conduct to make the colliery unremunerative." The minimum wage is the first objective, but after it is secured a continual agitation must be carried on in favour of reducing the working hours from eight to seven while the minimum wage remains untouched, so that the output per man will be reduced and the profits of the coal-owner and the income of the shareholders will disappear.
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