''The Miners' Next Step'' was an economic and political

pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' or it may consist of a ...

produced in 1912 calling for coal miners through their lodges, to embrace syndicalism and a new 'scientific' trade unionism. The pamphlet was written by the 'Unofficial Reform Committee' a group of syndicalist and socialists involved in the

Plebs' League The Plebs' League was a British educational and political organisation which originated around a Marxist way of thinking in 1908 and was active until 1926. History Central to the formation of the League was Noah Ablett, a miner from the Rhondda wh ...

and the Cambrian Combine strike of 1910-11. The main author is recognised as

Noah Ablett Noah Ablett (4 October 1883 – 31 October 1935) was a Welsh trade unionist and political theorist who is most noted for contributing to 'The Miners' Next Step', a Syndicalist treatise which Ablett described as 'scientific trade unionism. Ablett ...

. Ablett had embraced syndicalism while studying at

Ruskin College Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is an independent educational institution in Oxford, England. It is not a college of Oxford University. It is named after the essayist, art and social critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) an ...

, and was a founding member of the

. On his return to Rhondda, Ablett found himself in connection with like-minded socialists

William Mainwaring William Henry Mainwaring (1884 – 18 May 1971) was a Welsh people, Welsh coal miner, lecturer and trade unionist, who became a long-serving Labour Party (UK), Labour Party Member of Parliament. Both as a trade unionist and a politician he strugg ...

, Noah Rees, Will Hay and A.J. Cook. In 1911 the Cambrian Combine dispute ended with the Tonypandy Riot which in turn caused ill feelings towards the then Liberal government. ''The Miners' Next Step'' was a sustained critique of the style of union leadership shown by the likes of William "Mabon" Abraham who had been seen as too liberal in his dealings with the coalowners during such disputes as 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. ...

. The pamphlet called for Decentralization for Negotiating, Centralization for Fighting, The use of the Irritation Strike, Joint Action by Lodges, Unifying the men by unifying demands, The Elimination of the Employer, against the Nationalization of Mines and for Industrial Democracy.''The Miners Next Step ''http://www.llgc.org.uk/ymgyrchu/Llafur/1926/MNS.htm

References

External links

''The Miners' Next Step''
Library of Wales {{DEFAULTSORT:Miners' Next Step, The Political manifestos 1912 non-fiction books Pamphlets Miners' labor disputes 1912 in politics Syndicalism