ALLEGATIONS REFUTED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10457, 25 July 1925, Page 5

ALLEGATIONS REFUTED

LAKE COLERIDGE WORKERS. THE TUNNEL CONTRACT. Allegations made by the Inangahua Miners' Union that the conditions of work on the co-operative tunnel contract at Lake Coleridge were very bad and that it was against all union princoples for the unionists of New Zealand to let conditions stay as they were, have been replied to by Mr I. E. Baldwin, president of the New Zealand Workers' Union. ' , The Inangahua Union complained that the men at Lake Coleridge were working eight-hour shifts every day of the week, Sundays included, for the same pay; also the same hours and the same pay for wet places. A letter received by the New Zealand Workers' Union from the Inangahua Miners' Union on June 17 stated that the union had declared the "Beban and party" contract "black," while the conditions as stated prevailed. The head office o* the Workers' Union notified the men at Lake Coleridge of the allegations made by the Inangahua Union. The Lake Coleridge men became very indignant, and immediately requested an official visit. Mr Baldwin tlierefore visited the works on July 11, and. has. reported as follows to the secretary of the Workers' Union. He states that at a meeting on July 12, at which about 170 of the workers were, present, the following resolution was carried unanimously: "That this meeting, representative of all the workers engaged at Lake Coleridge hydro-electric works, advises all unionists throughout the Dominion to treat with contempt the action of the Inangahua Miners' Union of Reefton in endeavouring to proclaim this job 'black,' and, further, desires all unions throughout New Zealand, particularly the N.Z.W.U., to request the Inangahua miners and their secretary to prove the charges that have been made against the Beban party contractors and the workers engaged at Coleridge, or otherwise withdraw and apologise." j Mr Baldwin adds: "While at Coleridge I went into the tunnel, and also had a look around all the facilities, drying-rooms, bathing provisions, hutments, and cookhouses at the powerhouse, surge and centre camps and intake, and found that statements made at Reefton were contrary to fact. In regard to Mr McKane's statement of men working for Beban and party ' on Sundays at ordinary rate, it is absolutely incorrect, as 1 could not find a single instance of such a thing having occurred."