Chapter III - The Organisatio of The Triple Alliance

Introduction

In September 1920 the MFGB decided to reject a Court of Inquiry on their grievances. They demanded an advance in wages, and a reduction in the price of coal. Both claims could be met - they calculated - out of the profit that the total mining industry was making.  The NUR and the NTWF, and even MFGB-president Smillie advised them to accept the Government's offer of an inquiry, hut instead of that they called a strike-ballot, They expected that - if the ballot showed a two-third majority in favour of a strike -the other unions would join them. The transport workers and the railway men were wary of being drawn into a strike-action, while they had no influence on the negotiations between the miners and the government, and the miners already had made up their mind about what course of action they would follow. Bevin uttered his discontent with this situation:

The men in the country believe that since this Triple Alliance was formed constructive organising work has been going on to make it a workable machine, and my charge is that the six men who are at the head of affairs have not constructed an organisation that is capable of working when the test comes. It has not been capable of working during the present test. I have appealed at meeting after meeting of my own Executive and others when the Triple Alliance question has come up, for that to be done. I have said over and over: 'When the test comes, if you do not make it a real organisation it will be found to be a paper alliance’. By God, it has revealed itself to be a paper alliance this week.