The Super Incredible Shrinking Pay Packet

There were national miners strikes over reductions in miners pay in 1920 and, later in 1926 In 1922 Snowdon mine was on strike over reduced pay locally.The company went into receivership. Pearson Dorman and Long took over and planned a new miners village. Work was started auspiciously in 1926. In the General Strike of that year Snowdon went back earlier then the other Kent coalfields.( possibly since the mine had only just reopened they had fewer resources to survive on strike pay of a 1s a day} .

Miners militancy that year brought a lively fear of revolution to the wealthier classes, more so than in any other year last century.

By the end of 1928 snowdon miners were on strike again. They had been promised a higher rate of pay in Snowdon.- A guaranteed rate of pay of 11sh 6d per shift working 5 to 6 shifts a week, the district rate was 11sh 4d a shift or less. The higher rate for Snowdon reflected the greater depth of its seams, the shift rate was for an 8 hour day but did not include travel time, which could be considerable when the seam was 3000 feet down. Also the rate reflected the conditions of working and difficulty of mining those seams

The strike began on 16th November 1928 , the company reopened the mine 10 days later- 96 men reported for work passing a bitter crowd at the pithead,a blackleg was injured, despite 70 strong police protection the next morning just 40 men reported for work .

By midJanuary of '29, the pit was back at work, forced to accept lower pay. But rumours of another strike ballot persisted through the Spring, Tillmanstone and Chislet decided not to join Snowdon in another strike, they were afraid it would provide an excuse to attack wage rates further. Frank Turner, never one to resist a challenge, wanted to take the company to court on behalf of the men on reduced pay.

1929 was for Snowdon , a year as bitter as '26.