The Miners' Next Step

The Miners' Next Step was a syndicalist pamphlet published in 1912 by the Unofficial Reform Committee in South Wales. Written primarily by Noah Ablett and other members of the Plebs' League, the document emerged from widespread dissatisfaction with the South Wales Miners' Federation's leadership and their policy of conciliation with mine owners following industrial conflicts, particularly the Cambrian Combine strike.

The pamphlet presented a systematic critique of trade union bureaucracy, arguing that "all leaders become corrupt, in spite of their good intentions" and advocating for direct workers' control rather than state ownership. It proposed radical reorganisation based on "Decentralisation for Negotiating, Centralisation for Fighting" and introduced tactical innovations such as the "irritation strike".

The document synthesised economic analysis with syndicalist theory, calling for immediate demands including a minimum wage of eight shillings per day and a seven-hour working day, alongside the ultimate objective of workers democratically controlling industry. The pamphlet caused considerable alarm in establishment circles and became the subject of parliamentary debate, whilst its influence transformed South Wales mining leadership with syndicalists replacing moderate leaders. Modern historians recognise it as one of the most sophisticated expressions of British syndicalist thought and a foundational text in Wales's transition from Victorian Lib-Lab politics to twentieth-century socialism.