Ayrshire Miners' Union facts for kids

The Ayrshire Miners' Union was a group, called a trade union, for miners in Scotland. Its main goal was to help miners get better pay and safer working conditions.

A Union for Miners

The first Ayrshire Miners' Union started in 1880. A very important person named Keir Hardie helped organize it. Miners often faced tough jobs and low pay. So, they formed unions to speak up for their rights together.

In the winter of 1881 and 1882, the union supported a strike. This meant miners stopped working to ask for higher wages. However, the strike was not successful, and the union eventually closed down.

A New Start

A few years later, in 1886, a new union was formed. Keir Hardie was chosen as its first secretary. This new union worked hard to represent the miners in Ayrshire.

In 1893, the union changed its structure and was renamed the Ayrshire Miners' Federal Union. This meant it brought together different groups of miners.

Joining Forces

The Ayrshire Miners' Federal Union was one of the founding groups of the Scottish Miners' Federation (SMF) in 1894. Joining a larger federation made the union stronger. By 1897, about 3,000 miners out of 10,000 in Ayrshire were members. This made it one of the biggest parts of the SMF.

Later, in 1944, the Scottish Miners' Federation became the National Union of Scottish Mineworkers. The Ayrshire union then became a district within this bigger national union. This meant it had less independence than before.