Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association
The Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association (MELMA) was a trade union representing coal miners in parts of the Lothian area of Scotland.
The union described itself as having been founded in 1873 under the leadership of David Moffat,[1] but it was wound up the following year following an unsuccessful strike,[2] Moffat having to relocate to Fife due to victimisation.[3]
The union was re-established in 1887 by George Young and Robert Brown.[2] It registered in 1889, by which time it had a membership of about 2,000 workers.[1] In 1894, it was a founder constituent of the Scottish Miners' Federation,[4] and it played a leading role in that year's strike of miners in Scotland.[2] Other major strikes took place in 1912 and 1921.[2]
In 1945, the association was merged with other unions to form the Stirling and Lothians Area of the National Union of Mineworkers.[5]
General Secretaries
[edit]- 1890: Robert Brown
- 1917: Joseph Young
- 1919: Andrew Clarke
- 1940: Alexander Cameron
Presidents
[edit]- 1889: William Shaw
- 1900: George Young
- 1912: Andrew Clarke
- 1918: James Ormiston
References
[edit]- ^ a b Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.II, p.226
- ^ a b c d Catherine P. Snodgress, The County of East Lothian, p.161
- ^ Stephenson, Graham. "MOFFAT ABE, ALEX AND DAVE" (PDF). A Compendium of Communist Biographies. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
Sources: Abe Moffat `My life with the miners' (1965) and other material
- ^ The Labour Gazette, vol.2 (1894), p.47
- ^ C. P. Snodgrass, The county of East Lothian, p.162
