A PLAN FOR MINERS based upon Derbyshire Miner report
A plan for miners has been prepared by a number of miners? leaders and economic experts from universities in the hope that a fundamental revision of the N.U MoO tLY be brought about. The document deals with the industry during the last 6 years and the general conclusion about the financial pos= ition is that the N.C.B. has emerged from these years with big and growing surpluses. The Government and the NCB have beon at considerable pains to conceal the extont of these surplusese
The appendix explains some of ghe ways in which the accounts are 2 juggled to mintnise the apparent. Ono koy figure is the operating surplus 5 it is mainly by exaggorating tho figure of depreciation to be set off against this that tho accounting surplus is kept low. The operating surpluses were &7m. in 19473 £68.3m. in 19573 and £125.5m. in 1962, Figures for 1963 are not yot availablo but it is expectod that tho operating surplus will be at least £140m. Thus the incroase in operating surplus was £57m betwoen 1957 and 1962, and may be as much as £70m. by 1963.
Though the NCB has done well, the miners haven't sharod in this. In. the last 6 years thoir output por shift has risen by 30%. Tut the purchasing power of avorage earnings per shift has risen by only 104. ‘With tho ending of Saturday working, etc., wookly carnings have stagnated, Tho purchasing power was scarcoly any higher in April, 1963, than in April, 1956 (money earnings were up 21% but the cost of living has rison 19%) Thus although their productivity per wock was approximately 20% higher than in 1956, their real earnings were no higher, According to Ministry of Labour figures, workers in other industries improved their weekly carnings in real terms by 15% in tho samo period, approximately in line with tho increase in their productivity. The position of the surface workors is worse than that of tho miners as a whole; their woekly earning foll in roal torms by about 10% from 1957 to 1962.
The document suggests a number of demands which will help to put this anomaly rights :
(1) a planned advance of real earnings: The authors have in mind a 30% advance in real wages in the next ton years, with a 40% increase in minimum rates. Within this policy special needs have to be considerede Cne of these caes is that of craftsmen. Craftsmen's wages must at least be kept in line with other industries,
(2) long service payments in addition to the above demands. High labour turnover pushes up costs and may be pushing tho accident rato up. More incontive is needed to persuade the miners to stay in the industry and the cost would met by increased efficiency.
(3) accumulated holidays. In addition to the general fight for a 40hour week with three weeks annual holiday, minors need more leisure because of the nature of thoir work. Also an extra one month's paid holiday should be given to minors for every 5 years of service.