Does anyone know if this Union still exists and if so how can I get in touch with them. I need help on a health-related issue for my old man.
National contacts: General Secretary and National Political Contact: Rowland Soar President: Terry Fox Email: natnacods@aol.com Wadsworth House 130-132 Doncaster Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 1TP Tel: 01226 203 743 Fax: 01226 295 563
Good look to you, Harry.. and I'd be interested to know how you get on. I went through a similar project for my old man and I didn't get any satisfaction. but, I didn't really expect any.... in fact I thought they had wound up. The NUM gave me a bit of a chat which helped me to accept the reality that it was not worth any big effort. I was trying to sort the allowance for old underground miners who were affected by lung ailments. That whole scheme was an insult to the miners. It smelled like a massive scam to me.... good look to yer..
Ask them what happened "behind closed doors".. in 1985 whilst you are at it. Good luck with the claim, what is wrong with your old man, if you don't mind me asking?
Maybe so.. but the UDM solicitor Beresfords was slammed and their principle partner (Jim Beresford) had to pay back a small fortune. They charged claimants for their "handling" when the Government scheme paid their costs and disbursements. Needless to say the UDM was in on teh act as well through their claim handling firm Vendside.
They made £32 million - that's disgraceful And six of them got fined 10,000 - probably a small amount of what they made. Money should have gone to the miners!
I'd be interested on your opinion on that subject, redstar.. It is on my list of things to get a better handle on.... My dad was a deputy at Levy (Wentworth Silkstone) during the strike. He used to drive out there and meet a picket, have a chat and then go home. They did this throughout the strike. I think there were days when one of them couldn't make it, so they had the chat on the phone and called the ritual done for the day. I never heard of any animosity to my dad not being on strike. He was a good community man in his quiet way, and he was a miner all his working life. To become a deputy and shotfirer was just a step up in responsibility and wage and a natural progression for any worker. They worked the same shifts with the same mates in the same pit. I'd be interested in hearing the views of any ex-miner on here about the position of the deputies during the strike.... or in general... (I have the recollection that one of the reasons they didn't go out was to keep the pits mothballed so that they could re-start after the strike was over. I assume that was to keep the waterpumps and ventillation running) please contribute to this thread if you have any opinion at all.... cheers..
Yes, you are correct with that Mick... Legally, a pit could not operate under the Mines and Quarries Act without deputies. The striking men knew that the Officials needed to go in to ensure that a pit was kept in order and even would request a certain number of men to do small maintenance works that would prevent the pit from being irreperably damaged. There was little animosity to my knowledge but unfortunatly for the NUM, for some reason NACODS accepted a settlement out of nowhere when they held the power to close the pits - even the scab pits.
