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
- 1890: Robert Brown
- 1917: Joseph Young
- 1919: Andrew Clarke
- 1940: Alexander Cameron
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, Historical Directory of British Trade Unions, vol.II, p.226
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Catherine P. Snodgress, The County of East Lothian, p.161
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The Labour Gazette, vol.2 (1894), p.47
- ↑ C. P. Snodgrass, The county of East Lothian, p.162
