Casgliadau Arlein

Swiss lever with 10 jewel movement; button wind; gun metal case, silvered; on back engraving of two men shaking hands; trade union inscriptions on front and back.

At this time, the concept of a weekend did not exist. Workers had no time off or leisure time. Reducing working hours became a cornerstone for Trade Unionism. Between 1921 and 1936 250 south Wales mines closed, putting 140,000 miners out of work. The market for coal was declining and the coal owners wanted miners to accept pay cuts and longer hours. The miners’ response was: Not an hour on the day not a penny off the pay.