Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul M
How did a 10 man union have so much money in the firstplace  |
Because membership was higher in the past and the present 10 man section of a coalfield within the NUM still have access and legal rights to the funds raised historically.
At it's height the NUM (founded in 1945) active membership was approx 300.000 (figures of 950.000 membership in the 1920's refer to the MFGB), in 1981 when "king Arthur" became the leader membership was about 170.000.
Currently active membership is less than 100 and shrinking year on year.
As the NUM is still in existence it's huge funds are still managed by the national and regional executives.
Some things worthy of note:
Harold Wilson's Labour government closed hundreds of pits putting thousands of miners out of work with hardly a murmur from the NUM.
Margaret Thatcher's Government proposed the closure of just 20 unprofitable pits and privatisation of the rest. NUM leaders refused to nationally ballot members on strike action but "king Arthur" declared a national strike in March 1984.
The NUM opposed membership of the European Economic Community, beginning with a unanimous conference vote in 1971.
In 2011 the Derbyshire branch had just one member who was not a paid official.
NUM's Derbyshire branch has (as of 2012) just four members, three of whom are paid officials.