Cumberland Iron Ore Miners' and Kindred Trades' Association

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Cumberland Iron Ore Miners' and Kindred Trades' Association

The Cumberland Iron Ore Miners' and Kindred Trades' Association was a trade union, principally representing iron ore miners in the Cumberland area of North West England.

History

Although there were some attempts among iron ore miners in Cumberland to form a union in the 1860s and 1870s, the first successful union was the Dalton and District United Workmen's Association, established in 1882. This affiliated to the

National Federation of Blastfurnacemen, in 1891 the Cumberland iron ore miners registered their own union, the West Cumberland Workmen's Association. It had about 800 members and, despite its name, was restricted to iron ore miners.[1][2] It worked with the Cumberland Miners, the Cumberland County Colliery Enginemen's Association, local branches of the Blastfurnacemen and also some branches of the Typographical Association in the Cumberland and North Lancashire Federation.[2]

Over time, the union settled on a structure of seven branches, in

Kirkland, Moor Row, Rowrah, and Whitehaven, and by 1907 membership had grown to 2,500.[3] In about 1894, James Flynn was appointed as general secretary of the union. By 1907, he had become frustrated with its structure, where each branch had a high degree of autonomy, and elected one member of its council for each 100 members of the branch. He proposed a reorganisation wherein each mine would become its own lodge and elected one delegate of the council. Much of the existing council opposed this change, in particular those from the large branch at Egrement, and the union voted to give Flynn notice.[3]

In place of Flynn, the union appointed

Thomas Gavan Duffy as its general secretary. Gavan Duffy was a member of the Independent Labour Party who had recently been on a speaking tour of Cumberland. The union's members voted 1,644 to 108 for his appointment, but Flynn refused to recognise him, or hand over account books and the union banner. Flynn used the union's office to set up a rival National Iron Ore Miners' Association, with his supporters, this union gaining favour with mine owners by proving more flexible in negotiations.[1][4]

Gavan Duffy initially worked from temporary offices in

1924 UK general election.[4]

While the union long remained a member of the National Federation of Blastfurnacemen,

National Union of General and Municipal Workers.[2][5]

Election results

The union sponsored Gavan Duffy as a Labour Party candidate in several Parliamentary elections.[6]

Election Constituency Candidate Votes Percentage Position
1918 general election
 Whitehaven
Thomas Gavan Duffy
 9,016 45.6 2
1922 general election
 Whitehaven
Thomas Gavan Duffy
 10,935 45.3 1
1923 general election
 Whitehaven
Thomas Gavan Duffy
 12,419 53.0 1
1924 general election
 Whitehaven
Thomas Gavan Duffy
 11,741 47.2 2

General Secretaries

1894: James Flynn
1907:
Thomas Gavan Duffy

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0719008247
    .
  2. ^
    LCCN 80-151653
    .
  3. ^ a b c "Iron-ore miners' union: position of general secretary". Whitehaven News. 3 July 1907. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  4. ^ a b Duffy, Sean. "Thomas Gavan Duffy". Cleator Moor: Cumbria. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Cumberland iron ore miners: amalgamation of unions". Manchester Guardian. 13 May 1929.
  6. ^ Parker, James (2017). Trade unions and the political culture of the Labour Party, 1931-1940 (PDF). Exeter: University of Exeter. p. 125.
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