The Ebbw Vale and Sirhowy Colliery Workmen's Association was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

representing coal miners in the Ebbw Vale area of South Wales.

As an independent union

The union was founded in 1884 by Thomas Richards, as a miners' lodge affiliated to the

Miners' National Union The Miners' National Union (MNU) was a trade union which represented miners in Great Britain. History The union was founded in November 1863 at a five-day long conference at the People's Hall in Leeds. It was originally known as the National Ass ...

, representing colliers working for the Ebbw Vale Coal Company. In 1888, there was a dispute over the employment of contractors, and the rates paid for slag, in the course of which Richards was sacked. Richards retained the overwhelming support of the workers, and in 1889, he was appointed as the full-time agent for the union. That year, the union affiliated to the new

Monmouthshire and South Wales Miners' Association The Monmouthshire and South Wales Miners' Association was a trade union representing coal miners in south eastern Wales. Miners in Monmouthshire were organised in the 1870s in various small unions affiliated to the Amalgamated Association of Mine ...

, but retained a high level of independence. By 1892, the union had 2,500 members, and this grew to 3,500 by 1898. It took part in the

Welsh coal strike of 1898 The Welsh coal strike of 1898 was an industrial dispute involving the colliers of South Wales and Monmouthshire. The strike began as an attempt by the colliers to remove the sliding scale, which determined their wage based on the price of coal. ...

, but the action was defeated, and it became the Ebbw Vale District of the new

South Wales Miners' Federation The South Wales Miners' Federation (SWMF), nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for coal miners in South Wales. It survives as the South Wales Area of the National Union of Mineworkers. Forerunners The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AA ...

(SWMF).

Robin Page Arnot Robert "Robin" Page Arnot (15 December 1890 – 18 May 1986), best known as R. Page Arnot, was a British Communist journalist and politician. Early years Robert Page Arnot, known to his friends as "Robin", was born in 1890 at Greenock, the s ...

, ''South Wales Miners'', p.60

Ebbw Vale District

The Ebbw Vale District retained a high level of autonomy. Richards became the general secretary of the SWMF, and so William Vyce was appointed as a new agent. Membership grew only slightly, reaching 4,000 in 1914. By 1934 all the districts of the SWMF were in financial difficulty, and they were replaced by eight areas, with less importance. The Ebbw Vale District was merged with the Tredegar Valley District to form Area No.7, which soon became known as the Tredegar Area.Hywel Francis and David Smith, ''The Fed''

Agents

:1884: Thomas Richards :1899: William Vyce :1916: Evan Davies :1920: John Griffiths

References

Trade unions established in 1884 Trade unions disestablished in the 1890s Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Mining trade unions Coal mining in Wales Ebbw Vale Trade unions in Wales