TAUPIRI COAL MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 68, 21 March 1910, Page 5

TAUPIRI COAL MINES.

CASE FOR ARBITRATION. MINERS CITED BEFORE THE COURT .The directors of the Taiipiri Coal Company have cited the Waikato Miners' Union to appear before the Arbitration Court at the silting to be held in Auckland on April 5,. for the purpose of fixing a new industrial award, both with regard to the hours of labour, and the minimum wage. The company proposes that one-half of the men shall descend to their work underground half an hour earlier than they do at present, and the remainder an hour after the first half have gone down, both shifts to work the usual eight hours. The clause then proceeds: "Should necessity arise through accident the company shall have power to double shift any mine or part of a mine, half the second shift commencing to descend at 3.30 p.m., and commencing to ascend at 11.29 p.m., the other half commencing to descend at 4.30 p.m., and commencing to ascend at 12.29 aan." As to the minimum wage, the company have omitted from their statement the clause fixing the minimum at 10/4 per day, plus five per cent on the total amount earned during the day. Both theae points are to be determinedly objected to by the Union, as t :y fail to see any necessity for the change involved. The word "accident," unless specifically defined or interpreted, may, it is contended, mean anything or nothing, and in this way render the men liable to be called out at any 'time the management may desire. The power that would thus be conferred on the company ia held to be objectionable and contrary to the principles of industrial unionism. The crux of the clause lies in the word "accident," which may mean an accident to an employee, or an accident to the machinery, or both. Other objections to the word are as to who, for example, is to decide that the "accident" is serious enough to necessitate double shifting, and when such accident occurs. The union also contends that if the minimum wage is omitted, a great many workers even after the most severe and strenuous toil, would be unable to earn a living wage. On the other hand it will probably be contended that the Taupiri Coal Company is the only one in which a clause has been inserted compelling them to make up the wage of a contractor to the I minimum sum. Similar applications have been made by other unions, but have not been granted, it being held that as miners must either elect to work by day or by contract, and' if the latter, then the companies object to make up the wage of a man who fails to earn the minimum under a eontraei lie has taken. In the event of a,hard bar being met with, the contractor may get some consideration, but, to compel a company to make up a contractor's wage whether he works hard or not, is what the companies have always objected to. The Union is anxious that the sitting of the Court should be held at Huntly, contending that there is a fully equipped courthouse there, which would be convenient to the scene of the dispute, and also be a saving of expense to the union.