The Western Miners' 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 People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic ro ...

in parts of

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, centred on

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

History

The union originated in February 1872, when about 100 local coal miners met at the King's Head Inn and agreed to form a lodge of the

Amalgamated Association of Miners The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AAM) was formed in 1869 in Lancashire, at a time of increasing industrial conflict in the British coalfields. History The union was founded by Thomas Halliday and William Pickard, two miners' union agents who ...

(AAM). Membership grew rapidly, and by October, it claimed 1,223 members. The AAM began to struggle, and dissolved in 1875, but the Neath District survived on an independent basis.John Saville, "Halliday, Thomas (Tom) (1835-1919)", ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', vol.III, pp.91-94 Isaac Evans became prominent in the union, and in 1876 took a leading role in the negotiations which founded the Sliding Scale Joint Committee, to determine coal miners' wages. Two years later, he was appointed as secretary and agent for what became known as the Neath District of Miners, resigning as secretary in 1881, but remaining as agent. During the 1880s, the union was known as the Neath and Swansea Miners' Association, and by the 1890s, as the Neath, Swansea, and Llanelly District of Miners. In 1891, its membership reached 4,500, but by the end of 1892, it was down to only 2,400.{{cite news , title=Scale v. Federation , work=South Wales Daily News , date=5 December 1892 Evans and the union remained strongly supportive of the sliding scale, a position shared with some other local miners' unions, but not with the

Miners' Federation of Great Britain The Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was established after a meeting of local mining trade unions in Newport, Wales in 1888. The federation was formed to represent and co-ordinate the affairs of local and regional miners' unions in Engla ...

(MFGB); it therefore did not join the MFGB. In 1895, it changed its name again, becoming the Western Miners' Association of South Wales. Evans died in 1897, and was replaced by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

, and in 1898 the union became part 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).

Western District

The union became the Western District of the SWMF, and retained a high level of autonomy. Williams won election as a Member of Parliament, and was replaced as agent by W. E. Morgan. Morgan died in 1916, and was replaced by

David Grenfell David Rhys Grenfell, (16 June 1881 – 21 November 1968), sometimes known as Dai Grenfell, was a Welsh Member of Parliament. He represented the Gower constituency for the Labour Party from 1922 to 1959. Early life Grenfell was born on 16 Jun ...

and then D. J. Williams. In 1934, the district was merged with the Anthracite District to form Area No.1.Hywel Francis and David Smith, ''The Fed''

Leadership

Agents

:1878: Isaac Evans :1897:

:1906:

W. E. Morgan William Evan Morgan (1858 – 19 February 1916) was a Welsh people, Welsh trade union leader. Born in Rhos, Neath Port Talbot, Rhos, Morgan began working at the Main Colliery in Bryncoch when he was only nine years old. Despite his limited f ...

:1916:

:1922: D. J. Williams

General Secretaries

:1870s: William Hill :1878: Isaac Evans :1889: David John Morris :1895:

:1906: William Jenkins :1910: :1916: D. J. Williams :1922: :1920s: Gwilym Davies

References

Trade unions established in 1872 Trade unions disestablished in the 1890s Defunct trade unions of the United Kingdom Mining trade unions Coal mining in Wales Neath Trade unions in Wales