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62-518: The dispute centred upon an attempt by the Miners Federation of Great Britain , the main trade union representing coal miners, to secure a minimum wage for miners in their district and replace the complicated wage structure then in place which often made it difficult for a miner to earn a fair day's wage. The same issues had caused a major dispute the previous year in South Wales and had become

124-513: A "sliding scale" based on the selling price of coal, a practice which was standard in South Wales , Northumberland and Durham . In recognition of this status, a single Conciliation Board was created for the Federated District. The Federated District unions often worked together and opposed initiatives of the other MFGB affiliates. In 1918, a majority of the MFGB decided instead to campaign for

186-775: A call for a pay rise from the Yorkshire Miners' Association , several conferences were organised to discuss the possibility of forming a national union. At the conference held in the Temperance Hall in Newport, South Wales in November 1889, the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was formed. Benjamin Pickard of the Yorkshire Miners' Association was elected president and Sam Woods of

248-487: A dispute about wage cuts led to a ten-month-long strike by 12,000 men. Home Secretary , Winston Churchill , sent troops to Tonypandy where they charged a group of striking miners with fixed bayonets on 21 November. The strikers returned to work defeated but a conference in 1911 called for a minimum wage. The demand led to the six-week-long National coal strike of 1912 in which more than one million miners participated. The onset of World War I in 1914 led to calls for

310-566: A heritage with other ex- anthracite mining areas in eastern Carmarthenshire , as much as with the Glamorgan valleys. The local slang , dialect and phrases of the South Wales Valleys communities have been referred to as ' Wenglish ', and are often used with comic effect. The dialect is found in such coastal towns as Barry , as featured in the BBC comedy series, Gavin & Stacey . Welsh

372-472: A national issue. The strike was a repeat of the unsuccessful strike of 1894 which also sought a minimum wage. The strike began at the end of February in Alfreton , Derbyshire and spread nationwide. Nearly one million miners took part. It ended on 6 April after 37 days. The strike caused considerable disruption to train and shipping schedules. This also caused ships to be cancelled and people were transferred on

434-693: A penny off the pay, not a minute on the day!". The colliery owners locked out more than one million miners, a "state of emergency" was declared and the General Strike began in May 1926. The strike lasted seven months. Despite support from many organisations including local communities, the Labour Party and financial support from workers in the USSR, the strikers were forced back to work in November. The Nottinghamshire Miners' Association led by George Spencer broke away from

496-467: A series of cycle tracks and other outdoor amenities. Large areas of forestry and open moorland also contribute to the amenity of the landscape. Merthyr Tydfil ( Welsh : Merthyr Tudful ) grew around the Dowlais Ironworks which was founded to exploit the locally abundant seams of iron ore , and in time it became the largest iron-producing town in the world. New coal mines were sunk nearby to feed

558-580: A single National Wages Board and this led to the break-up of the Federated District. A. R. Griffin claimed that this "...did incalculable harm to the miners of the Midlands without doing any good to anyone else". The MFGB's membership increased by 30% in its first year and by 1890 its member federations had 250,000 members. The Northumberland Miners' Association and the Durham Miners' Association initially refused to join but did so in 1907 and 1908. Most of

620-1341: Is now a compulsory language up to GCSE level for all students who start their education in Wales. Several secondary schools offering Welsh medium education operate in this area, for example Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari in Pontyclun , Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymmer in Porth in the Rhondda , Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun in Penywaun in the Cynon Valley , Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool , Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Blackwood , Ysgol Gymraeg Plasmawr in Cardiff and Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg in Church Village . A significant number of people from ethnic minority communities speak another language as their first language, particularly in Cardiff and Newport. Commonly spoken languages in some areas include Punjabi , Bengali , Arabic , Somali and Chinese , and increasingly Central European languages such as Polish . In

682-617: Is overprinted with urban regeneration, tourism and multi-national investment. Large factory units, either empty or turned over to retail use, bear witness to the lack of success in replacing older industries. The native language of the majority of people in South Wales is English , but there are many who also speak Welsh . In western parts of Glamorgan , particularly the Neath and Swansea Valleys , there remain significant Welsh-speaking communities such as Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera , which share

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744-571: The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and the tin mines of Cornwall such as Geevor Tin Mine , as a large but experienced and willing workforce was required. Whilst some of the migrants left, many settled and established in the south Wales Valleys between Swansea and Abergavenny as English-speaking communities with a unique identity. Industrial workers were housed in cottages and terraced houses close to

806-697: The Labour Representation Committee (LRC), and the Scottish Miners' Federation was the principal backer of the Scottish Workers' Representation Committee . Other districts chose not to involve themselves in politics. In the early 1900s, many affiliates were frustrated with the Liberal Party's reluctance to adopt trade union candidates or take up trade union matters in Parliament. In 1906,

868-937: The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation (LCMF) its vice-president. Enoch Edwards from the Midland Counties Miners' Federation was its first treasurer and Thomas Ashton , also from the LCMF, its first secretary. Keir Hardie was one of the Scottish delegates at the conference. At the inaugural meeting it was agreed to raise funds to carry on the federation's business, to protect miners by taking an interest in trade and wages, secure legislation and call conferences to discuss matters. It intended to obtain an eight-hour day "from bank to bank" for all underground workers, attend inquests and seek to obtain compensation for miners killed in incidents involving more than three persons. Most of

930-610: The Laws in Wales Act 1535 , crown land in Wales formed the Principality of Wales . This was divided into a Principality of south Wales and a Principality of north Wales. The southern principality was made up of the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire , areas that had previously been part of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth ('the southern land'). The legal responsibility for this area lay in

992-588: The National Coal Board . These industries have since largely been replaced by service sector industries. The cities along the M4 corridor are home to a number of high-profile blue-chip companies such as Admiral Insurance , Legal & General and the Welsh-based Principality Building Society . A large number of telephone call centres are located in the region and in particular in

1054-602: The Presbyterian Church of Wales ), whose distinctive grey stone chapels can be seen in many parts. These were mainly Welsh-language congregations. Anglicanism in South Wales became autonomous from the Church of England with the Welsh Church Act 1914 , but the immediate demise of the denomination feared at that time has not taken place in the Church in Wales . There are a number of Brethren Assemblies in Cardiff and in

1116-744: The RMS Titanic where it struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean near Canada . 1,500 people perished while leaving only 705 survivors. This article related to the history of the United Kingdom or its predecessor states is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a strike action or other labor dispute is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Miners Federation of Great Britain The Miners' Federation of Great Britain ( MFGB )

1178-522: The furnaces and in time produced coal for export. By the 1831 census, the population of Merthyr was 60,000—more at that time than Cardiff, Swansea and Newport combined—and its industries included coal mines , iron works , cable factory , engine sheds and sidings and many others. The town was also the birthplace of Joseph Parry , composer of the song Myfanwy . The Heads of the Valleys towns, including Rhymney , Tredegar and Ebbw Vale , rose out of

1240-469: The 1870s, coal was transported by rail transport networks to Newport Docks , at the time the largest coal exporting docks in the world, and by the 1880s coal was being exported from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan . The Marquess of Bute , who owned much of the land north of Cardiff , built a steam railway system on his land that stretched from Cardiff into many of the South Wales Valleys where the coal

1302-466: The 1930s highlighted the plight of mining communities. A disaster at Gresford Colliery demonstrated poor working conditions and breaches in the law by employers. A Royal Commission into mines' safety was started after the 1934 disaster but no new law was passed until the Mines and Quarries Act 1954. Fatalities in the mines had fallen in the years before 1926 but coal industry deaths rose to the 1900 level after

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1364-512: The 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a vigorous literary and musical culture centred round eisteddfodau . Despite a few timid attempts to emulate this literature in English, it can be argued that few writers seem to connect with either the landscape or the literary tradition. The one exception, to some extent, can be considered to be Dylan Thomas. The South Wales landscape is marked by numerous chapels, places of worship (past and present) of

1426-559: The Bracchi, Italians in the café and catering trades often from Bardi in the Apennines. Post-war diversity has brought mosques , especially in Cardiff and Newport, Sikh gurdwaras , including one on the mountain near Abercynon and a growing number of Evangelical and Pentecostal congregations. These often add a strongly international element into local life, such as the "Pont" twinning project between Pontypridd and Mbale , Uganda , and

1488-519: The MFGB and government discussed how best to ensure a supply of coal for the war effort. The miners' position was that they wanted the industry to be nationalised at the end of hostilities. It pressured the Labour Party into readmitting Aneurin Bevan , who had been expelled for advocating a "popular front" with the far-left against the National Government. In 1941 an Essential Work Order was imposed on

1550-512: The MFGB held a national ballot on whether to affiliate to the LRC. The proposal was defeated by 101,714 votes to 92,222. South Wales, Scotland, Yorkshire and Lancashire, the largest affiliates, were in favour of joining, but most smaller affiliates were strongly opposed. After the close vote, the transformation of the LRC into the Labour Party and newly affiliated unions from Durham and Northumberland to

1612-458: The MFGB in early November after meeting local colliery owners and formed the rival Nottingham and District Miners' Industrial Union or "Spencer" union. Following the strike, the federation had lost public sympathy and the economic slump that followed affected miners' wages and working conditions. The MFGB's membership declined and by 1931 unemployment on the coalfields reached more than 40% and wages were poor for working miners. Hunger marches in

1674-506: The MFGB's founding officials were still in control in 1910 by which time the membership was more than 600,000. Membership peaked in 1920 when it had more than 945,000 members. In 1926 the membership dropped to 756,000 and had declined to about 530,000 in 1930. The organisation was renamed the Mineworkers Federation of Great Britain in 1932, reflecting the creation of groups for enginemen, firemen, electricians and other workers in

1736-496: The MFGB, a second ballot was held in 1908. While the pattern of voting was similar, increased membership of the largest affiliates and stronger support among them, led to the earlier decision being overturned by 213,137 votes to 168,446. On affiliation to Labour, MPs sponsored by member unions were asked to join the Labour Party group in parliament. Many did, but a small number negotiated an exemption and remained Lib-Labs until 1918 causing ongoing disputes among members, but in 1918

1798-460: The MFGB, colliery owners and government considered the future of the mining industry and two years later the government returned management of the collieries to their owners. In 1921 a decision by the NUR and NTWF not to strike in sympathy with the miners is remembered as Black Friday and signalled the end of the alliance. Pressure for wage cuts in 1925 plunged the MFGB into crisis. The government-backed

1860-684: The Swansea area and Free Presbyterian Churches in Rhiwderin , near Newport and at Merthyr Tydfil . The Roman Catholic community, despite systematic persecution, survived in the 17th to 19th centuries, especially in Brecon and among minor gentry such as the Vaughans of Welsh Bicknor , on the Monmouthshire–Herefordshire border. Among members of foreign origin of later urban Catholic congregations were

1922-569: The Valleys area. Merthyr Tydfil is home to the principal UK call centre for German mobile telephone company, T-Mobile . Many jobs are also provided in small-scale and family businesses. One site of note on the M4 corridor is Port Talbot Steelworks – the largest steel producer in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe. The television and film sectors are fast becoming a major industry in South Wales. In 2021,

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1984-481: The Welsh language, although the interests of the latter lay more in society and culture than in the evocation of natural scenery. This natural environment changed to a considerable extent during the early Industrial Revolution when the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire valley areas were exploited for coal and iron . By the 1830s, hundreds of tons of coal were being transported by barge to ports in Cardiff and Newport . In

2046-437: The Welsh screen sector saw a turnover of £575 million. Prominent film studios have been established in Cardiff (Wolf Studios Wales, Seren Stiwdios, Enfys Studios) as well as Bridgend (Dragon Studios) and Swansea (Bay Studios). Great Western Railway operate services from Swansea , Cardiff Central and Newport to London Paddington with Class 800s . Most services in South Wales are operated by Transport for Wales Rail on

2108-405: The breakaway union became even more isolated. The MFGB balloted its members about merging with the "Spencer" union but the proposal was rejected. The federation's leadership continued to negotiate until 1937 when the breakaway union returned to the MFGB but amid much bad feeling. Support for the mining industry to be nationalised grew between the wars and during World War II . At the onset of war,

2170-550: The colliery owners and the TUC backed the miners. The government proposed setting up a commission and provided a subsidy to maintain wages at the July 1925 level. The commission took no representations from the MFGB and the government built up coal supplies until the report was published in March 1926. The MFGB rejected the report's proposals and its general secretary A. J. Cook coined the slogan, "Not

2232-525: The communists. The MFGB did support allowing the CPGB to affiliate with the Labour Party in 1936, but the party leadership refused. South Wales South Wales ( Welsh : 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 to include Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire . In

2294-574: The creation of "Fairtrade" relationships with primary producers worldwide. The former heavy industries of coal and iron production have disappeared since the economic struggles of the 1970s, with the closures of that decade continuing sharply into the 1980s, and by July 1985 just 31 coal pits remained in the region. Further closures left the region with just one deep mine by the early 1990s, and this finally closed in January 2008, by which time it had transferred to private ownership after being sold off by

2356-457: The founding unions were part of the Federated District. This had been created in 1888 and covered Yorkshire , Derbyshire , Nottinghamshire , the Midland Counties , Lancashire , Cheshire , and North Wales . In these districts, most output was used within the UK and, as a result, variations in international trade had less impact on them. Their unions were opposed to payment of miners on

2418-581: The giant coal tip unstable, resulting in the Aberfan disaster . The recent dumping of small particles of coal and ash known as 'tailings' seems to have been partly responsible. A 30-foot-high (9 m) black wave tore downhill across the Glamorganshire Canal and swept away houses on its path towards the village school. 114 children and 28 adults were killed. The Rhondda Valleys (Rhondda Fach and Rhondda Fawr) housed around 3,000 people in 1860, but by 1910

2480-650: The hands of the Justiciar of South Wales based at Carmarthen . Other parts of southern Wales were in the hands of various Marcher Lords . The Laws in Wales Acts 1542 created the Court of Great Sessions in Wales based on four legal circuits. The Brecon circuit served the counties of Brecknockshire , Radnorshire and Glamorgan while the Carmarthen circuit served Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire . Monmouthshire

2542-399: The industrial revolution, producing coal, metal ores and later steel . Aberfan : The Merthyr Vale colliery began to produce coal in 1875. Spoil from the mine workings was piled on the hills close to the village which grew nearby. Tipping went on until the 1960s. Although nationalised, the National Coal Board failed to appreciate the danger they had created. In October 1966, heavy rain made

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2604-620: The industry. The MFGB joined the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in 1890. In 1893, 300,000 colliery workers were locked out when the mine owners demanded they take a 25% cut in pay. Six weeks into the dispute, two men were killed at a colliery in Featherstone in Yorkshire after the Riot Act had been read and soldiers opened fire on the assembled men. The strike ended nine weeks later after

2666-616: The largest and most powerful industrial combinations in Britain for decades and exercised a great influence on the rest of the British labour movement. The first working-class MPs , Thomas Burt and Alexander Macdonald were elected in 1874. They represented mining constituencies and were funded by miners' associations. Elected as Liberal-Labour candidates, they supported by the Liberal Party . The Independent Labour Party (ILP), formed in 1893,

2728-427: The mine owners backed down. The MFGB participated in the 1906 Royal Commission on mines' safety and by 1908 had secured an eight-hour day for underground workers. Improving miners' working conditions was important to the federation and Robert Smillie represented it in the Royal Commission on mines' safety that led to the Mines' Regulation Act in 1911. A lockout in 1910 by Cambrian Collieries in South Wales in

2790-399: The mines and foundries in which they worked. The large influx over the years caused overcrowding which led to outbreaks of Cholera , and on the social and cultural side, the near-loss of the Welsh language in the area. The 1930s inter-war Great Depression in the United Kingdom saw the loss of almost half of the coal pits in the South Wales Coalfield , and their number declined further in

2852-455: The mines. In 1942 proposals to merge all districts and local associations into a single miners' union were drafted. After the Labour government was elected in the 1945 general election , the passing of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 meant all the industry's assets, rights and liabilities passed to the National Coal Board and the MFGB was reorganised into a single union, the National Union of Mineworkers . The miners' unions were

2914-434: The name is a geographical expression rather than a specific area with well-defined borders, style guides such as those of the BBC and The Guardian use the form 'south Wales'. In a more authoritative style guide, the Welsh Government , in their international gateway website, Wales.com, state that it should always be capitalised. It is always capitalised on motorway signs. Between the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284 and

2976-427: The party. The Communist Party of Great Britain , founded in 1920, attempted to bypass the MFGB in gaining support among miners. It set up the Miners' Minority Movement, which saw initial success when activist A. J. Cook was elected as the MFGB General Secretary, but a motion for the MFGB to affiliate to the communist Red International of Labour Unions attracted little support, and Cook later distanced himself from

3038-418: The population had soared to 160,000. The Rhondda had become the heart of a massive South Wales coal industry. Mining accidents below ground were common, and in 1896 fifty-seven men and boys were killed in a gas explosion at the Tylorstown Colliery . An enquiry found that the pit involved had not been properly inspected over the previous 15 months. Ebbw Vale, the valley of the Ebbw River which stretches from

3100-401: The repeal of the eight-hour day and increased productivity. South Wales miners struck in 1915 and increased pay was demanded in 1916 resulting in the coalfields being put into state control. In 1914 the MFGB had joined with the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and the National Transport Workers' Federation (NTWF) in the Triple Alliance . In 1919 the Sankey Commission was set up to which

3162-425: The retirement of the remaining Lib-Labs and Labour's adoption of a programme championing nationalisation cemented the relationship. Syndicalism had short-lived popularity among members, but the defeat of the 1926 UK general strike ended it as a significant force, and the MFGB leadership adopted a policy of strong support for the Labour Party leadership, putting great effort into securing parliamentary majorities for

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3224-509: The status of Breconshire or Carmarthenshire, for instance, is more debatable. In the western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people might feel that they live in both south Wales and west Wales . Areas to the north of the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains are generally considered to be in Mid Wales. The valleys and upland mountain ridges were once a very rural area noted for its river valleys and ancient forests and lauded by romantic poets such as William Wordsworth as well as poets in

3286-520: The strike. A ballot for a national strike in 1935 produced the largest majority vote in favour of industrial action. Wages in Nottinghamshire, where the breakaway "Spencer" union-represented 80% of the workforce, were the lowest in the country. Men who remained loyal to the MFGB were victimised and colliery owners refused to recognise the federation. Matters came to a head at Harworth Colliery in 1936. MFGB members demanding recognition struck for six months. Several officials and members were imprisoned and

3348-401: The theological innovations of some trained ministers, and created new congregations such as that at Hengoed near Ystrad Mynach . In the same century, churches were sometimes involved in the Methodist movement, especially at Groeswen and Watford near Caerphilly , which both received frequent visits from John Wesley The largest denomination, however, became the Calvinist Methodists (later

3410-417: The town of Ebbw Vale to Newport, includes the mining towns and villages of Newbridge , Risca , Crumlin , Abercarn and Cwmcarn . The Carboniferous Black Vein coal seams in the area lay some 900 feet (275 metres) below the surface and the mining activity associated with it was responsible for many tragic subsurface explosions, roof collapses and mining accidents . Now the Valleys' heavy industrial past

3472-439: The various Christian Nonconformist congregations. The Baptist congregation at Ilston , Gower , moved to Swansea, Massachusetts , but after the restoration of the Anglican worship with the issue of the Book of Common Prayer in 1662, several "gathered" churches survived belonging to the Baptist, Independent and Presbyterian denominations. In the 18th century members of some of these congregations became dissatisfied with

3534-432: The western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people would probably recognise that they lived in both south Wales and west Wales . The Brecon Beacons National Park covers about a third of south Wales, containing Pen y Fan , the highest British mountain south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia . A point of some discussion is whether the first element of the name should be capitalised: 'south Wales' or 'South Wales'. As

3596-621: The years following World War II . This number is now very low, following the UK miners' strike (1984–85) , and the last 'traditional' deep-shaft mine, Tower Colliery , closed in January 2008. Despite the intense industrialisation of the coal mining valleys, many parts of the landscape of South Wales such as the upper Neath valley, the Vale of Glamorgan and the valleys of the River Usk and River Wye remain distinctly beautiful and unspoilt and have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest . In addition, many once heavily industrialised sites have reverted to wilderness, some provided with

3658-585: Was attached to the Oxford circuit for judicial purposes. These seven southern counties were thus differentiated from the six counties of north Wales. The Court of the Great Sessions came to an end in 1830, but the counties survived until the Local Government Act 1972 which came into operation in 1974. The creation of the county of Powys merged one northern county ( Montgomeryshire ) with two southern ones (Breconshire and Radnorshire). There are thus different concepts of south Wales. Glamorgan and Monmouthshire are generally accepted by all as being in south Wales. But

3720-403: Was being found. Lord Bute then charged fees per ton of coal that was transported out using his railways. With coal mining and iron smelting being the main trades of south Wales, many thousands of immigrants from the Midlands , Scotland , Ireland , Cornwall and even Italy came and set up homes and put down roots in the region. Very many came from other coal mining areas such as Somerset ,

3782-453: 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 England, Scotland and Wales whose associations remained largely autonomous. At its peak, the federation represented nearly one million workers. It was reorganised into the National Union of Mineworkers in 1945. In 1888 after colliery owners rejected

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3844-402: Was never very influential in the coalfields, but the Lib-Labs responded to its calls for independent labour candidatures by proposing that the federation would support any candidate put forward by a member union, regardless of the political party. When the proposal was adopted many unions put forward Liberal candidates, but the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation was an early affiliate of

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