110 years ago yesterday, coal miners at #Ely pit in Penygraig went on strike. 110 years ago today, authorities in #SouthWales inquired about #military military aid, in the event of disturbances caused by the striking miners.

This strike would lead to the #TonypandyRiots 1/

#DoYouKnowWhy the #strike started? Well, carry on reading... 2/

It kicked off when the Naval Colliery Company opened a new coal seam at the Ely Pit in Penygraig. After a test period to determine what would be the future rate of extraction, owners said that the miners deliberately worked more slowly than they could. 3/

The 70ish miners at the seam argued that the new seam was more difficult 2 work than others, b/c of a stone band that ran through it. On 1/09/1910, the owners posted a lock-out notice at the mine, closing the site 2 ALL 950 workers, not just the 70 @ the newly opened Bute seam 4/

The Cambrian Combine then called in strikebreakers from outside the area to #Penygraig. Naturally, the miners responded by picketing the work site. Here's a pic of the miners. [Dapper iawn!] 5/

#Wales #Hanes #History #Cymru

There was an intense back and forth between Sept 1910 and 1st Nov 1910, when the miners decided 2 take strike action. Basically, the Combine tried to underpay them after already cutting their wages owing 2 the insinuation they were working too slowly... 6/

30,000 miners joined them in #striking. THIRTY THOUSAND! Now, that's what I call #Solidarity 7/

By 7th Nov, ALL mines where miners were striking were picketed. 1000s of people marched though the Rhondda. People went 2 pitheads and went into their collieries to extinguish boiler fires and stop ventilation fans, making the mine unworkable to any scabs who had stayed in. 8/

They'd done it 2 nearly EVERY pit apart from the one at Llwynypia. On 6th Nov, ppl go wind of what might happen at Llwynypia, and it was turned into a fortress to stop striking miners from effecting production- but did it work? 9/

#Wales #Hanes

"Production at the colliery at #Llwynypia was being kept running by about 60 scabs who had kept the machinery in the pit running with the aid of the 100 policemen from #Swansea, #Bristol and #Cardiff preventing entry by the strikers." 10/ https://libcom.org/history/1910-cambrian-combine-miners-strike-and-tonypandy-riot

"By 10.30pm on the evening of November 7, thousands of strikers had encircled the pit at Llwynypia, determined to gain entry+shut the colliery down...11/

Unable to get inside, they began to throw stones at the policemen guarding the power station and heavy fighting soon ensued between the two groups, with some miners breaking off sections of wooden fencing to use as weapons." [from the LibCom article] 12/

The situation heightened, until the riots. During the evening of rioting, properties in Tonypandy were damaged and some looting took place. There was little looting, but some ppl wore clothes taken from the shops and paraded in a festival atmosphere. 13/

Women and kids were involved, as they had been outside the Glamorgan colliery on the front line on 8th Nov. A few hours later, when it all quietened down, orders were sent to Colonel Currey at Cardiff, to despatch a squadron of the 18th Hussars to reach Pontypridd at 8:15 am 14/

Upon arrival, one contingent patrolled Aberaman and another was sent to Llwynypia, where it patrolled all day until the arrival of the Metropolitan Police. No authentic record exists of casualties, since many miners would have refused treatment from fear of prosecution 15/

Thirteen miners from Gilfach Goch were arrested and prosecuted for their part in the unrest. The trial of the thirteen occupied six days in December. During the trial, they were supported by marches and demonstrations by up to 10,000 men, who were refused entry to the town. 16/

What can we learn about the strikes? Winston Churchill, famously, sent troops to South Wales 2 quell the strike, resulting in death and injuries.

REST IN POWER SAM RHYS 17/

We can learn about how London treats Wales, and specifically, the ongoing experiences of the Welsh working class under a Westminster government: a relationship of harm, exploitation and a focus on profit, not people. 18/

There has never been justice: without justice, there is no peace. That relationship, that dynamic- dare I say, slightly colonial dynamic- still exists to this day. Westminster has NEVER acted in #Wales' best interest, and never will.

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