MINERS' WAGES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 130, 1 June 1908, Page 5

MINERS' WAGES.

. <By Telcsrspli.—Oira Correspondent. , '■■ "WAIH3, this day. For some time past a feeling of diai content, has existed among msnv con- | tractors re the wages of men in the I Waihi mine, it being held that the? were not being paid commensurate with the immint of work done, tee contractors receiving the financial benefit of their work to a larger extent than some of the men think they should. Therefore, a special meeting: cf ths Miners' I Union was held on Saturday night to I discuss a motion proposed by 31r I ilcXaughton. which was: "That all men I working on contract in the mines should jbe partners in the said contracts." He I held that all men should have a fnll ; return for what they produce, and that !no contractor should allow any of his • partners to be taken away on less than Ihe was earning on his contract: further. ) any party of ecu not being- satisfied with j any one of their party, to take ballot of that party as a whole, and if rejected, paying aim up to date. In the • event of a member of the said party I being found to have been a victim of 1 wrong treatment, to grant him an api peal to the party, their decision to be final. If the management committee of the Union found that the aforesaid I individual had been badly treated, to i order him reinstatement on the contract. and. assuming that any member of the contract failed to comply with these ruies. to have him boycotted through the medinm of the committee. Mr Katz moved an amendment —"That the whole matter be referred to the management committee, with power to add to their number, to draw up a scheme and report at a future meeting." A division was taken, with the result —For amendment. IS9: for the motion. i IS3. j In the course of discussion, it was held j that men working on contract should share and share alike, and that there should be no distinction in respect of the contractor and his wages men. It was also held that in the event of the company taking contractors' wages, men off their contract to perform some work for the company, such men should be paid at the same rate as that received from the head contractor, viz.. 10/-, and not according to the Arbitration Award, which wa3 1/6 per day less. The following committee was then appointed to meet the management of the mine in i order to discuss the matter, with a. view to drawing np a scheme if possible in accordance with the desires of tlie men:— The president (Mr Armstrong) and Messrs. Opie. McNanghton, Nightingale, and Parry. The management, I unj deTstand, is really in sympathy with the men. J =