The Miners' National Union (MNU) was a trade union which represented miners in Great Britain.
History The union was founded in November 1863 at a five-day long conference at the People's Hall in Leeds. It was originally known as the National Association of Coal, Lime and Ironstone Miners of Great Britain or Miners' National Association. It campaigned for legislation in the interests of its members, but did not involve itself in trade disputes, and disappointed strikers who hoped it would provide them with financial support. Its most prominent achievement was in getting the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1872 passed; this required payment of miners by weight and restricted working hours for children in the mines.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trades Unions, vol.2, pp.228-229
The Amalgamated Association of Miners was formed by former members of the union in 1869 and for a few years established new unions across the country. However, by 1875 it was in financial trouble and the two negotiated a merger; however, Macdonald ultimately only changed the name to the "Miners' National Union" and advised former members of the Amalgamated Association to join.John B. Smethurst and Peter Carter, Historical Directory of Trade Unions, vol.5, pp.481
Trade unions affiliated to the union included the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Miners' Association, Durham Miners' Association, Northumberland Miners' Association, South Yorkshire Miners' Association and West Yorkshire Miners' Association.Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.I, p.256 The union also worked closely with the Scottish Miners' Association, whose secretary was Alexander Macdonald, President of the MNU.Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of Trades Unions, vol.2, p.244
The union's affiliates in 1873 were:
Union Founded Affiliated Membership (1873) Ashton-under-Lyne 1869 1869 3,200 Cleveland 1872 1872 5,200 Derby and Leicestershire 1873 1873 1,400 Durham 1869 1869 35,000 Fife and Clackmannan 1869 1873 5,100 Northumberland 1863 1863 16,000 South Yorkshire 1858 1863 17,000 Stirling and Linlithgowshire 1872 1872 5,000 Warwickshire and Leicestershire 1872 1872 2,000 West Bromwich 1869 1873 4,000 West Yorkshire 1858 1863 10,000 Wishaw 1873 1873 1,400
By 1889, in addition to Northumberland and Durham, the newer Yorkshire Miners' Association, Derbyshire Miners' Association, Nottinghamshire Miners' Association, Ashton-under-Lyne Miners' Association and Monmouthshire and South Wales Miners' Association held membership. At that year's conference, the unions voted against involving itself with wage disputes, instead focusing on lobbying Parliament for reforms. However, it had no objection to the creation of a new organisation being created to intervene on industrial matters and, as a result, several affiliates were founder members of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, the MNU then fading in importance.Robin Page Arnot, The Miners, vol.1, pp.94-95
In 1898, the Durham Miners and a few remaining minor bodies withdrew from the union; with only the Northumberland Miners still affiliated, the MNU was dissolved.
Presidents 1863: Alexander Macdonald 1881: Thomas Burt
Secretaries 1863: Richard Mitchell 1865: John Worrall Philip Casey 1875: Thomas Halliday 1877: William Crawford 1890: John Wilson
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