The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a trade union for coal miners in Great Britain,formed in 1945 from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB). The NUM took part in three national miners' strikes,in 1972,1974 and 1984–85. Following the 1984–85 strike,and the subsequent closure of most of Britain's coal mines,it became a much smaller union. It had around 170,000 members when Arthur Scargill became leader in 1981,a figure which had fallen in 2015 to an active membership of around 100.
The Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was established after a meeting of local mining trade unions in Newport,Wales in 1888. The federation was formed to represent and co-ordinate the affairs of local and regional miners' unions in England,Scotland and Wales whose associations remained largely autonomous. At its peak,the federation represented nearly one million workers. It was reorganised into the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945.
John Allen Parkinson was a British Labour Party politician and former coal miner. He stood for Parliament seven times and was overwhelmingly elected each time.
David Rhys Grenfell,,sometimes known as Dai Grenfell,was a Welsh Member of Parliament. He represented the Gower constituency for the Labour Party from 1922 to 1959.
John Joseph Tinker was a British Labour Party politician.
Thomas Frederick Hubbard was a British coal miner and politician. He represented Kirkcaldy Burghs in Parliament for fifteen years,being a somewhat low-profile Member but often speaking in support of better conditions for pensioners.
William Henry Mainwaring was a Welsh coal miner,lecturer and trade unionist,who became a long-serving Labour Party Member of Parliament. Both as a trade unionist and a politician he struggled,largely successfully to counter Communist influence. He was said to have spoken "with passion and fire on behalf of his fellow miners".
Henry Twist was a British miner's agent and Labour politician.
Frank Hodges was an English trade union leader,who became General Secretary of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. A Member of Parliament (MP) for one year,he was Civil Lord of the Admiralty in the first Labour Government.
The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act of 1946 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised,or brought into state control,the coal industry in the United Kingdom. It established the National Coal Board as the managing authority for coal mining and coal processing activities. It also initially provided for the establishment of consumers' councils. The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 was the first of a number of Acts promulgated by the post-war Labour government to nationalise elements of the UK's industrial infrastructure;other Acts include the Electricity Act 1947;the Transport Act 1947;the Gas Act 1948;and the Iron and Steel Act 1949.
Coal mining in the United Kingdom dates back to Roman times and occurred in many different parts of the country. Britain's coalfields are associated with Northumberland and Durham,North and South Wales,Yorkshire,the Scottish Central Belt,Lancashire,Cumbria,the East and West Midlands and Kent. After 1972,coal mining quickly collapsed and had practically disappeared by the 21st century. The consumption of coal –mostly for electricity –fell from 157 million tonnes in 1970 to 18 million tonnes in 2016,of which 77% was imported from Colombia,Russia,and the United States. Employment in coal mines fell from a peak of 1,191,000 in 1920 to 695,000 in 1956,247,000 in 1976,44,000 in 1993,and to 2,000 in 2015.
The Lancashire Coalfield in North West England was an important British coalfield. Its coal seams were formed from the vegetation of tropical swampy forests in the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago.
The 1897 Barnsley by-election,was a by-election held on 28 October 1897 for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was notable for its role in the development of the Independent Labour Party.
The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation (LCMF) was a trade union that operated on the Lancashire Coalfield in North West England from 1881 until it became the Lancashire area of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945.
People have worked as coal miners for centuries,but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic role as a primary fuel,coal miners have figured strongly in labor and political movements since that time.
Thomas Greenall,also known as Tom Greenall,was a British Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Farnworth in Lancashire from 1922 to 1929.
The Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners' Association (MSWCOA) was an association of mine owners in South Wales that was active between 1873 and 1955. It fought wage increases,safety regulations,unionisation and other changes that would cut into profits. It managed to link miners wages,which were based on piece-work,to the price of coal. It was involved in various labour disputes,including a lengthy strike in 1926. The coal mines became unprofitable in the 1930s and were nationalized in 1947,making the association irrelevant.
William Pickard was a British trade unionist.
The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners Permanent Relief Society (LCMPRS) was a form of friendly society started in 1872 to provide financial assistance to miners who were unable to work after being injured in industrial accidents in collieries on the Lancashire Coalfield. It also provided funds for widows,orphans and dependent relatives of those who were killed in the pits. The society operated until 2006 from offices in Wigan.
