ABSTRACT
For the three weeks following the lodge meeting things remained quiet, mainly because of the Christmas and New Year holidays, though two more men left the pit and the industry and informal shift exchanges began. A man wanting to change his shift had to find someone on the other shift with whom to change. This usually meant canvassing. Nightshift men would stand at the meeting-place and ask for swaps with the dayshift as they came out. Some of the ex-putters were accused of monopolizing the dayshift and of capitalizing on their lack of experience to stay on it.
