The union reached its high-water mark in 1873 when a meeting of coalowners and owners' representatives at Llanelli led to the regulation of wages.
[3] By 1883, the support was taking up more of Mabon's time, and he stated that he would withdraw from the meetings, unless the local miners established their own union.
As a result, they founded the Anthracite Miners' Association, with Mabon becoming its agent, and Enoch Rees becoming part-time secretary.
[5] It also became politically active, partially sponsoring Mabon as a Member of Parliament, and also contributing funds to David Randell, MP for Gower, who acted as the union's solicitor.
[6] With Mabon as its agent, the union was closely aligned with the Cambrian Miners, and it similarly supported the sliding scale of payment, whereby wages rose and fell in line with the export prices of coal.