The Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association (MELMA) was a trade union representing coal miners in parts of the Lothian area of Scotland.
The union described itself as having been founded in 1873 under the leadership of David Moffat, [1] but it was wound up the following year following an unsuccessful strike, [2] Moffat having to relocate to Fife due to victimisation. [3]
The union was re-established in 1887 by George Young and Robert Brown. [2] It registered in 1889, by which time it had a membership of about 2,000 workers. [1] In 1894, it was a founder constituent of the Scottish Miners' Federation, [4] and it played a leading role in that year's strike of miners in Scotland. [2] Other major strikes took place in 1912 and 1921. [2]
In 1945, the association was merged with other unions to form the Stirling and Lothians Area of the National Union of Mineworkers. [5]
Sources: Abe Moffat `My life with the miners' (1965) and other material