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The Laxey strike, 1907

Date(s): c.1907

Place made: Laxey

Scope & Content: Mona's Herald, 11 September 1907, page 7:

A Short Strike at Laxey Mines.

CAPT. ROBERTS BACKED BY THE OLD WORKERS

At pay time on Saturday, at Laxey Mines, a number of the men gave notice of going out on strike. The ground for this action was alleged lowness of their contract pay. On Monday the men who had given, notice "stopped out"; and following their example, the general body of the underground workers numbering about 150 did the same. In the course of the day a meeting took place between Capt. Roberts and the men at the office. From our information Captain Roberts met the men with perfect openness, and on the case he was able to make for himself and the company, had no difficulty in showing that those who had had this agitation had no ground on which to bottom their action. It is said that it came out that the cause of the low wages complained of was not the low prices given by the captain for contracts, but that it had been a practice with certain of the young men, instead of working out the full shift, which would have ended at eight in the evening, to ascend early enough to be out dressed soon after six in the evening enjoying the pleasures of Laxey in the gayness of the summer season, and the attraction of the life guards, and other bands. Capt. Roberts told the discontents that what he wanted was a fair day's work for a fair day's pay; and when he put the question to the older and more capable workers of whether he had not acted up to that standard of fairness he was assured in a chorus of ascent. Instances were even given by the men of his absolutely fair and impartial treatment; and the opinion was freely expressed that it was many years since there had been equal fair treatment at the mine. Capt. Roberts told the men that he had come with a character for fair treatment of men; and that, whatever took place over this action, he did not intend to lose that character by anything he did. The sweet reasonableness of the Captain won over the men, and the meeting, ended with their declared intention to return to work.

Language: eng

Extent: overall: 16 cm x 25 cm

Physical description: black & white print

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/3781

Record class: Private

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