More Unrest in 1912

Even before the end of 1911, it was clear that the coming year was not going to be a quiet one on the industrial front. Towards the end of December the cotton operatives had gone on strike at one mill over the refusal of two operatives to join the union. The employers’ association then decided that their members should close both spinning and weaving mills, shutting out 160,000 workers. The Miners’ Federation had met to consider the agitation for a minimum wage, and they agreed to a ballot of their members on strike action in support of this in January, though at the last moment it was resolved that before they could proceed with a strike, a two-thirds majority was required. The result of the vote was a majority of 443,801 for and 115,921 against a national stoppage, to commence at the end of February. Notices were tendered in every district. The widespread support for a minimum wage was driven by economic factors; the unrest in mining districts was due to the fact that in spite of the general upturn in trade, the miners were not sharing in the improving prosperity of the country. In fact many miners had suffered pay cuts due to the level of coal prices, so while a wage rise did not seem a possibility, a minimum wage was something they could fight for. ‘It was the economic position of the industry, rather than agitation from South Wales, that put the steam behind the demand for a minimum wage’. ¹ In Scotland, where 80 per cent of mineworkers were unionized, support was even stronger with five-sixths voting in favour. ²