A SERIOUS PHASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 235, 1 October 1920, Page 5

A SERIOUS PHASE.

EXTENSION THREATENED. "•AN OPEN' RUPTURE." FEDERATION" SECRETARY'STATEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Negotiations in connection with the dispute regarding the enginedrivers at the Pukemiro Company- mine, in the Waikato, having 'broken down, a serious position has arisen. This afternoon Mr. Arbucklc, secretary of the Miners' Federation, received the following telegram from Mr. O'Brien, tbe local member of the Federation executive at Huntly: — "The Pukemiro Company refuse to open the mine unless the preference clause in national and local agreements is cancelled. The company refuse to submit the dispute to the Disputes Committee. The miners must be supported." Referring to this message. Mr. I Arbucklc said:—''lf the companies are • going to continue flouting the national agreement a,s they have been doing, then there can be no other outcome than an open rupture between the eoalowners band the Miners' Federation. There will be no other course open to the executive than to support the Pukemiro miners by open revolt, seeing that tbe cempanies have seen fit to lock these men out after the Federation had persuaded the men to return to work and leave the question of railway concessions to he settled between the Federation executive and the other parties concerned. The enginedrivers at Pukemiro are members of the -Miners' Union, and their wages and conditions are provided for in their local agreement. Consequently it would be useless for them to become member, of any other organisation until such time as they are provided for in an agreement by other than a miners' union. This is not likely, seeing that no other union governs Ihe coal-mining industry." Mr. W. Pryor, secretary o; the Coalmine Owners' Association, this afternoon received the following telegiiim from Mr. Wight, managing director of the Pukemiro Company:—"Negotiations for (settlement 'broken down, as the directors insist on the enginedrivers •being free from the 'Miners' Union, otherwise the safety of the mine is endangered."

'"This question of the enginedrivers belonging to the 'Miners' Union was raised by Mr. Wight himself at the national conference," remarked Mr. Pryor to a reporter. "The report of the procedings show, that Mr. Wight said that if the enginedrivers were members of the Miners' Union and a stoppage occurred they would be called out with tue miners, .and pumping would cease, -■hit had already happened at Pukemiro, and ventilation had been stopped. As soon as the miners stopped for a stop-work meeting the engineers were also slopped. If a strike occurred, enginedrivers were stopped, and- the water rose. In reply to Mr Wight, Mr. Artmckle told the confeT.-nce that this statement was misleading. Ho said that in the case of a dispute the Miners' 4 Union never called out the pumping men. They recognised that while they might have a dispute over a principle, at the same time they were not going to 'do the miners' out of all possibility of getting work, which would occur if the mines -were flooded." '"As far as I understand the position," Mr. Pryor continued, "the Pukemiro mine requires that pumping Bhall be kept going more or less continuously. Stoppage of pumping is a very Ferious j matter. During the recent strike in connection with the railway fares the miners stopped work and left the pumps, which had to 'be operated by mombers of the staff, so that the position is exactly as Mr. Wight stated it probably would be. Evidently tha directors of the Pukemiro Company are not prepared to take any further risk in connection with the matter, and for tlie sake of the safety of the mine have decided that the enginedrivers shall he free from control by the Miners' Union." APPEAL TO MINEOWNERS ALLEGED BREACH OF AGREEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In reference to the Pukemiro trouble Mr. Arbucklc (secretary of the Miners' Federation) has asked Mr. Prior (secretary of the Mine Owners' Association) for the decision of the executive of the Mine Owners' Association regarding the action of the Pukemiro Company in forcing the engine-drivers out of the Miners' Union. He states that the preference clause in the national agreement provides that these men shall become members of the Miners' Union. He considers that the Pukemiro Company has broken .the national agreement, and leaves the Federation free to act in any manner it may consider fit.