1945 Dixon’s High Blantyre pits aerial view
Miners were idle at High Blantyre’s pits on Saturday 3rd October 1936 by way of a strike. The report is as follows,
“Dissatisfaction again broke out on Saturday among a number of the men employed at Blantyre Collieries, which are owned by Messrs Win. Dixon, Ltd., where the stay-in strike took place. No. 1 and No. 2 pits were again idle, the men stating that the agreement regarding rates had not been fulfilled.
After a meeting with the management work is to be resumed now and the matter again reviewed at the end of this week. The original stoppage took place four weeks ago, arising from a demand made by the men employed on backstripping work in the section of No. 2 pit for an increase of rates. Later the stay-in strike developed. Last Monday there was a general resumption of work at the collieries when the men agreed to accept the terms which had been offered by the general manager.
FIRST PAY. On Friday the men received their first pay since the resumption, and their complaint was that the agreement had not been fulfilled. After the meeting at the collieries on Saturday morning it was decided not to resume work. Later in the day Mr P. M. Ritchie, general manager, and Mr Alexander M’Call, local manager, met a deputation of four of the men employed in the section. The points in the dispute were fully discussed.
OUTPUT QUESTION. The men’s principal complaint was that they were not able make the standard wages, and they asked that the company make up the difference from what they had actually earned to the county wage standard. The general manager pointed out that since the resumption of work the men’s usual output had fallen below their former average. Under these conditions the company was unable to accede to the men’s demands to bring their wages up. The deputation said that the men would put forward special effort to increase their output during this week, and also agreed to resume work to-day. The points will again be discussed on Friday.”
Pictured during the same era are Dixon’s Pits in High Blantyre.