THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 127, 29 May 1918, Page 6

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WAIHI, this day. There ie nothing fresh to report re the engineers' strike. It appears that one of the main points raised by the society is 'to the effect that the Arbitration Court, having made an error, should have given the society due notice before any correction was made in tbe award. It "is alleged this was not done, and that thereby a dangerous precedent was established. The town ie very quiet, and it is hoped the dispute will be settled.

THE COMPANY'S POSITION.

<Mr H. W. Hopkins, an attorney of the Waihi Gold Mining Co., has stated that the President of the Arbitration Court, in a memorandum to the award, had eaid the wages had been brought into line with wages paid to men through the country engaged in similar work. That rate was 1/6 art hour, with a war bonus of 2d an 'hour. But the Court had failed to give the number of hours in the working day, and because the Ohinemuri engineers worked only 45 hours a week, the effect of the wages' clause was to give them a higher rate than the men in Auckland. Accordingly the Court amended the clause by the insertion of the words "day of eight hours." and this brought the rate for the Ohinemuri men down to thj Auckland level. They objected strongly to this provision, and at the beginning of this month the em-plovers were advised by the union that the men would work neither overtime nor shifte, nor on Sundaye, till they were paid on the terms of the original award. On Monday last the men advised that unless these original terms were brought back into operation they would ceiLse work at midday Tuesday.