The Strike of Twelve Thousand Men at the Cambrian Combine

Eight thousand in procession at five o’clock in the morning.

The Cambrian Combine consists of three groups of mines, known as the Cambrian, the Glamorgan and the Naval Collieries at each of which group there is, roughly about 4,000 men employed. Besides these in the Rhondda the Combine also control the Britannic Merthyr at Gilfach Goch.

The Managing Director of the Combine is Mr. D. A. Thomas, M.P. for Cardiff. The General Manager is Mr. Leonard W. Llewellyn.

Scores of disputes exist in the South Wales Coalfield, many of which are due entirely to the Managers fixing prices for getting coal at so low a figure that it is impossible for the men to make an ordinary wage. As the men work on tonnage rates the method is for the management to fix the price of each seam in conjunction with the Lodge Committee and failing this the matter is referred to arbitration. In practice in many instances the fixing of prices is done arbitrarily by the owners’ representa­tives and this is enforced by them where they can. Such an instance occurred at the Ely Pit about 3 months ago, one of the Cambrian Group, where 70 men working a new seam found it impossible to get a wage under the terms fixed by the owners, and refused to work under them; at this the owners gave notice to all the other men in the mine to terminate their contracts—that is, they locked out all the other men at the pit to enforce the price they had decided upon. The present strike of 11,500 men is in direct protest against this locking out business of the bosses to reduce the men’s wages. This is the direct and sole cause of the strike in the Rhondda at the Cambrian Combine Mines. It is a most serious matter to the men, as new prices are continually being fixed and the invariable practice is to lower them.

Before striking the whole case was dealt with by a conference of dele­gates of the South Wales Miners’ Federation and afterwards by a vote of the miners themselves, throughout South Wales. It was agreed to support the Cambrian men financially but not to help by a general stoppage. Accordingly all the Cambrian men gave their notices in and these terminated last week.  

Now comes the difficulty. Besides those who belong to the Miners’ Federation there are members of three other unions whose co-operation is of utmost importance to successful action. These are the Winding Enginemen’s Union, —i.e., those who drive the hoist engines for the shafts —also the Enginemen’s and Stokers and Craftsmen’s Union—i.e., those who drive the hauling engines to bring the trains to bottom of shaft from the workings—and the Firemen or Stokers. These being in sectional Unions although the miners may act unanimously, it still leaves the men unaffected. A working agreement between these theoretically exists, but like all such arrangements it only works when the responsible men are actuated by the true principle of solidarity, and it is easy to find stumbling blocks. Winding men being under a separate agreement, they were not prepared to make common cause unless the action should be taken by the miners to give them sufficient reason. This meant that in each of the three groups of mines there have been about 300 officials, ostlers, engine­men, stokers, etc., or, roughly about 1,000 people in all, keeping the mines in order so that the company’s property should not deteriorate. From a class struggle standpoint this is not the way. Class solidarity by ALL leaving, and let the capitalists look after their property, or let it go to blazes, is the only sensible fighting policy. To intercept the sections referred to, it was decided that all miners should demonstrate near their respective mines at 5 a.m. in the morning. At 6 o’clock there was a procession at the Cambrian group of 2,500 in one line that marched along the main street, near to a point adjacent to the company’s property, and back again. In addition, about ten squads of fifty strong were along various routes and on the mountain sides to meet those who would be leaving night shift or starting day shift. The rain fell very heavily at intervals, but many women were in the procession, a number with infants. Choruses were sung, and occasional excitement caused as a group of officials would be met, or a few enginemen or stokers. Mounted police were patrolling goad humouredly, but at 6.25 two enginemen were slyly making their way towards the pit; they were recognised, and same of the women talked to them in pretty emphatic Welsh, which I could not understand. Immediately a crowd gathered, and mounted police for the moment dropped the steady kindly attitude they had previously shown and charged. It was said some women were knocked down. I did not see the women down being some half dozen yards behind the horses, but it angered the crowd who immediately showed a disposition to effectively resent any rough behaviour and at least one policeman got a nasty knock. In a 1/4 of an hour this had subsided; but the processionists kept at it, their members serving as the reserve force from which to draw contingents for special work.<

By 8 o’clock, as far as one could judge not more than half-a-dozen got to the mines out of 300: and reports came from the Glamorgan group that the demonstrators had been very successful; some hustling had taken e, but officers and enginemen did not reach the mine. This is the first time during the 40 years history of mining here that a fight of this kind has been conducted by the miners and it is the best lesson as to the need for solidarity that the men have had and it will be lost.

At Aberdare where Charlie Stanton is the Agent, 10,000 men are out, chiefly the men of the Powell Duffryn Mines and those in sympathy with them. To-day the miners’ council meet to decide what support shall be n to the Aberdare men. As yet they have not been granted any support, and thus there is a great difference between the fight in Aberdare this in the Rhondda. In the latter, as previously stated, the 12,000 have the backing of the whole of the South Wales Miners’ Federation. It is to be hoped that the Aberdare men will get it too!

TOM MANN

This article was written on 7 November 1910 and excerpted from Justice 12 November 1910