Durham Miners' Association
Encyclopedia
The Durham Miners' Association (DMU) was a trade union
in the United Kingdom
.
The union was founded in 1869 and its membership quickly rose to 4,000, but within a year had fallen back to 2,000. In December 1870, William Crawford
became the union's President, and was able to rebuild its membership, the DMU soon becoming the largest miners' union in the UK.
The union saw rapid success, with the abolition of the unpopular Yearly Bond in 1872, while a short strike in 1874 began a process of agreeing wages across the county. A longer strike in 1879 was unsuccessful in preventing cuts to wages, but action in 1890 ensured that the district was the first in the county to adopt a standard seven hour day. The prolonged strike of 1892 against a proposed 15% cut in wages ended with an agreement to accept a 10% cut.
In these early days, the DMU was part of the Miners' National Union, and supported Lib-Lab candidates; both Crawford and John Wilson serving local constituencies. Although the union affiliated to the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) in 1892, it was expelled the following year after refusing to join the national strike. It again attempted to join in 1897, but asked to be bound only on questions of wages, which was not permitted. In particular, the Durham union opposed the Eight Hours Bill, which was strongly promoted by the MFGB. The union finally joined the MFGB in 1908, following the passage of the Eight Hours Bill. In addition, by 1900, membership had risen to 80,000.
The union became the Durham Area of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945 and is now the North East Area of the NUM.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The union was founded in 1869 and its membership quickly rose to 4,000, but within a year had fallen back to 2,000. In December 1870, William Crawford
William Crawford (Durham politician)
William Crawford was an English miner, trade unionist and a Liberal politician.Crawford was born at Cullercoats Northumberland and worked in Hartley Coal Mines from the age of 10. In 1862 actively opposed the attempt of the Northumberland mine owners to impose the system of yearly hiring...
became the union's President, and was able to rebuild its membership, the DMU soon becoming the largest miners' union in the UK.
The union saw rapid success, with the abolition of the unpopular Yearly Bond in 1872, while a short strike in 1874 began a process of agreeing wages across the county. A longer strike in 1879 was unsuccessful in preventing cuts to wages, but action in 1890 ensured that the district was the first in the county to adopt a standard seven hour day. The prolonged strike of 1892 against a proposed 15% cut in wages ended with an agreement to accept a 10% cut.
In these early days, the DMU was part of the Miners' National Union, and supported Lib-Lab candidates; both Crawford and John Wilson serving local constituencies. Although the union affiliated to the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) in 1892, it was expelled the following year after refusing to join the national strike. It again attempted to join in 1897, but asked to be bound only on questions of wages, which was not permitted. In particular, the Durham union opposed the Eight Hours Bill, which was strongly promoted by the MFGB. The union finally joined the MFGB in 1908, following the passage of the Eight Hours Bill. In addition, by 1900, membership had risen to 80,000.
The union became the Durham Area of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945 and is now the North East Area of the NUM.
General Secretaries
- 1869: John Richardson
- 1870: A. Cairns
- 1871: William CrawfordWilliam Crawford (Durham politician)William Crawford was an English miner, trade unionist and a Liberal politician.Crawford was born at Cullercoats Northumberland and worked in Hartley Coal Mines from the age of 10. In 1862 actively opposed the attempt of the Northumberland mine owners to impose the system of yearly hiring...
- 1890: William Hammond Patterson
- 1896: John Wilson
- 1915: Thomas Cann
- 1924: W. P. RichardsonWilliam Pallister RichardsonWilliam Pallister Richardson , known as W. P. Richardson, was a British trade unionist.Richardson was born in Usworth, County Durham. His father was killed in 1885, while working in the Usworth Colliery. A few months later, William began work in the same pit...
- 1930: Peter Lee
- 1935: John SwanJohn Swan (UK politician)John Edmund Swan was a Labour Party politician in England.He was elected at the 1918 general election as Member of Parliament for Barnard Castle in County Durham, but lost his seat at the 1922 election to the Conservative Party candidate, John Edwin Rogerson. Swan did not stand for Parliament...
- 1945: Sam Watson
- 1963: Alfred Hesler
- 1979: Tom Callan
- 1985?: David Hopper
Presidents
- 1869: William Crake
- 1870: William CrawfordWilliam Crawford (Durham politician)William Crawford was an English miner, trade unionist and a Liberal politician.Crawford was born at Cullercoats Northumberland and worked in Hartley Coal Mines from the age of 10. In 1862 actively opposed the attempt of the Northumberland mine owners to impose the system of yearly hiring...
- 1871: John Forman
- 1900: William HouseWilliam House (trade unionist)William House was a British trade unionist.House grew up in the West Auckland area of County Durham. He worked for many years as a coal miner, and joined the Independent Labour Party. He was elected to Durham County Council, then as a checkweighman for his pit. He was particularly prominent in...
- 1917: James RobsonJames Robson (trade unionist)James Robson was a British trade unionist.Born in West Auckland, County Durham, Robson started work at the age of ten. In 1890, he was elected checkweighman at Broompark Colliery, then later moved to Bearpark Colliery. In 1917, he was elected President of the Durham Miners' Association, serving...
- 1920s: James Gilliland
- 1980s: Harold Mitchell
- 2000s: David Guy
Treasurers
- 1869: Nicholas Wilkinson
- 1882: John Wilson
- 1886: William Hammond Patterson
- 1890: John JohnsonJohn Johnson (British politician)-Trade Unionist:He worked in the mining industry. In 1890 he became Treasurer of the Durham Miners' Association and then in 1897 their Financial Secretary.-Politician:...
- 1896: Thomas Cann
- 1920s: Thomas Trotter
- 1930s: Sam Watson