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The North Wales Miners' Association was a trade union representing coal miners in Wales.

History

The origins of the union lay in the North Wales District Meeting, a monthly meeting in Wrexham of representatives of workers from about sixteen collieries. In November 1889, the representatives decided to form the North Wales Miners' Federation, and by mid-1890 this included branches at 25 collieries, with a total of 7,793 members. It was noted that about 6,000 of these were members of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB), and soon the whole organisation affiliated. In 1891, the union elected Ioan Williams as its full-time agent.

In 1894, the North Wales Quarrymen's Union affiliated to the association, increasing its membership by 13,000, although they soon left again. In 1900, the union decided to increase its membership dues, and this led a group of miners in Rhosllanerchrugog and Ruabon, led by Thomas Hughes, to break away as the Rhos Miners' Union. The remainder of the union adopted the name Denbighshire and Flintshire Miners' Federation. The Ruabon miners rejoined the following year, and this led the remaining members of the Rhos Miners' Union to dissolve the organisation and rejoin the North Wales Miners.

In 1903, the union was renamed as the "North Wales Miners' Association", while in 1935 it became the North Wales and Border Counties Mineworkers' Association. Never a large organisation – the Association had only 7,500 members in 1945 - from about 1900, its General Secretary also served as its Agent, and even that post was left vacant from 1932 until 1934. Ted Jones was appointed shortly before the Gresford disaster.

In 1945, the MFGB became the National Union of Mineworkers, and the Association became its North Wales Area, with less autonomy than before.

By the time of the 1984–85 strike, the region had only two pits operating. Its then Secretary, Ted McKay, opposed the strike, but the Bersham Colliery was heavily picketed by miners from other areas and did not work until November 1984.

The Area was dissolved in 2011.

Leadership

Secretaries

1889: Richard Jones

1892: I. L. Thomas

1893: S. Roberts

1893: Edward Hughes

1925: Hugh Hughes

1934: Ted Jones

1961: Jos Ellis

1975: Ted McKay

1987: Les Kelly

2005: Rosemarie Williams

Presidents

1889: David Griffiths

1891: William Davies

1892: George Rowley

1894: Thomas Hughes

1894: George Rowley

1896: Thomas Hughes

1897: Robert Jones

1899: George Rowley

1902: John Williams

1905: Tom Hughes

1913: Thomas Rowland

References

1. "Great miners' demonstration at Wrexham". Wrexham Advertiser. 13 September 1890.
2. "The North Wales Coalminers' Federation: Appointment of an agent". Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald. 8 May 1891.
3. "The North Wales Coal Miners' Federation: The Quarrymen and the Federation". Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald. 11 May 1894.
4. "The Denbighshire and Flintshire Miners' Federation". Wrexham Advertiser. 14 April 1900.
5. "Local and district". Llangollen Advertiser. 3 May 1901.
6. ^ "National Union of Mineworkers (North Wales Area) MSS", Archives Wales
7. Arthur Ivor Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, Vol.2, p.198
8. Stanley Williamson, Gresford: The Anatomy of a Disaster, p.179
9. "Former NUM officer's fears in 1984/85 miners' strike", BBC News, 5 March 2010

Bibliography

• Keith Gildart, North Wales Miners: A Fragile Unity, 1945–1996
• Ted McKay, Edward Hughes and the History of Coal Mining in North Wales

• Trade unions established in 1891
• Mining trade unions
• National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)
• Coal mining in Wales
• 1891 establishments in Wales
• Trade unions in Wales