| Description | Track 1: Charles Parker talks to Ben Davies about his experience of striking and 'go slows' and how he dealt with strikes when he became a pit manager, about redundancies, about giving certificates to miners for long service, which is 'ridiculous', 5.48 mins
Track 2: Tape test, 0.18 mins
Tracks 3-4: Ben Davies talks about coal seams and open-cast mining in his village. He talks about collieries closing. Charles Parker asks whether open-cast mining is better than going down a mine; he talks about the harsh weather in the winters. He talks about the dust created by open-cast mining. They discuss the need for work in the local villages; he says that people should not go away to work. Charles Parker suggests that this is government policy to break up the solidarity of the working class. He talks about the beautiful countryside in the area and replanting grass and trees on the old tips.
Tracks 5-8: Peter Beynon, a manager of a pit in Ammanford, talks to Charles Parker. He talks about current problems in the pit caused by geological disturbances. He talks about mechanisation, which is not possible at Ammanford, and says that the mine is still run under 'the old system', worked with pick and shovel. He explains why Ammanford is still open, even though it is not possible to mechanise it and suggests that the industry wants to retain skilled men. He talks about the type of coal produced at the pit and its output. He describes how coal is mined at the pit. He says that the country must decide whether it wants a mining industry or not. He talks about the seams in the pits he has managed in the local area and describes how the coal is mined. He talks about fixed wages in the mines and the importance of managers talking to individuals.
Total: 33.23 mins
Dubber's reference number: PLA KF565D0429480 |