Catalogue description Records created or inherited by the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation

Since the Mining Industry Act 1920 there has been a statutory obligation for the employers in the British mining industry to provide financial resources for the provision of social welfare to employees, former employees and their dependents. From 1920-1926 this activity was overseen by the Miners Welfare Fund, from 1926-1947 by the Miners Welfare Commission (originally known as the Miners Welfare Committee).

When the industry was nationalised, the Coal Industry Act 1946, confirmed the existence of the Miners' Welfare Commission, but gave the National Coal Board the duty of securing the welfare of the people in their employment. The Miners’ Welfare Commission pioneered purpose built rehabilitation centres that were exclusively used for rehabilitating disabled mineworkers in order to minimise their absence from work. Great developments took place as part of the war effort when the total output of coal production was greatly affected by the high incidence of fractures and other accidents, and the lengthy recovery period due. These accidents were often due to the unskilled and under-trained workforce.

To co-ordinate the welfare activities of the two bodies, a National Miners' Welfare Joint Council was established on 1 January 1948. It comprised all the members of the Commission and two additional representatives of the Board. The Board provided additional funds to those derived from the statutory levies to assist, in particular, the speedy erection of pithead baths and the improvement of pithead canteens.

Under the existing legislation, the output levy (derived from coal output) was due to cease at the end of 1951, and consequently the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers opened discussions in 1950 to consider how welfare should be organised in the new circumstances arising from nationalisation. On 24 July 1951, the Board and Union signed an agreement which provided for the division of welfare in the industry into two categories: colliery welfare and social welfare. Under the agreement the Board agreed to assume responsibility for colliery welfare as a normal function of management, and responsibility for social welfare passed to the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.

The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) was established on 1 July 1952 under the Miners Welfare Act 1952. Its functions included the provision of recreation facilities, medical services outside collieries, and non-vocational educational services. Its duties were defined as promoting the health, conditions of living and social well-being of present and former employees of the mining industry and their families, by assisting the sick and disabled, and by providing facilities for education and for healthy recreation. CISWO performed these tasks in conjunction with public or other authorities, as appropriate. It was incorporated as a company on 19 February 1952 (under the Companies Act 1948).

Under the terms of its articles of association the organisation was administered by a council composed of up to six directors appointed by the National Coal Board, at least one of whom was a person in a managerial grade, and up to six directors appointed by the National Union of Mineworkers, one of whom was nominated by the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers. It took over a proportion of the existing Miners Welfare Fund and received further grants from the board under the terms of the Miners Welfare Act 1952 s.13. From these funds annual allocations were made to divisional welfare committees to finance schemes approved by CISWO.

Following the privatisation of the coal industry in the 1980s and 1990s the limited company status of CISWO was changed to that of a charitable trust by the Miners Welfare Act 1952 (Transfer of Functions of Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation) Order 1995. Records of the new charity are not public records but continue to be deposited with the Public Record Office.