SEVENTY YEARS AGO Thursday March 6, 1952
Argyll pit strike – men return to work under same conditions
The 180 miners, who had been on an unofficial strike at the Argyll Colliery, Machrihanish, since Monday afternoon of last week, returned to work on Monday morning.
This followed meetings of the Argyll branch of the National Union of Mineworkers and the men involved the previous night.
It was decided to go back and await the report of the inspector, who, it was stated, was to make an inspection of the colliery on Wednesday.
This inspector is appointed by the National Union of Mineworkers and he acts with full approval of the National Coal Board.
The strike was in sympathy with two backshift men who walked out because they alleged that part of the pit, where they were working, was unsafe.
However, an inspector of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, who made a thorough inspection of the colliery on Thursday, on the recommendation of the manager Mr James W Williamson, reported that the colliery was perfectly safe and that the method of working was highly satisfactory.
Prior to his inspection, the men, at one of their meetings in Campbeltown, claimed that too much coal was being extracted from the section concerned and expressed their fear that it might lead to a major disaster.
Mr William Marshall, president of the Argyll branch of the NUM and one of the men involved, denied that the two men who originally stopped work because of the alleged danger were men of little mining experience.
He stated that one of these men had 23 years’ experience in mining in the Blantyre district, while the other man had 12 years’ experience in another Scottish mining area.
He argued that on several occasions the men had to quit the road because of creaking and tearing in the roof which were, he said, the usual signs of danger.