PUKEMIRO DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 248, 16 October 1920, Page 7

PUKEMIRO DISPUTE.

SETTLEMENT REACHED. WORK RESUMED ON MONDAY. ENGINEERS REMAIN IN UNION. BUT TO KEEP ON DURING STRIKES. (By Tele*raph.-JPr«ei'Association.* WELLINGTON, Friday. A settlement has finally been arrived at in connection with the protracted I Pukemiro coal mine dispute. Negotia- { tions attained fruition to-day as the I result of a conference held between Mr. ' j Hally, a special representative of th« ! Pukemiro Union, and Mr. W. Pryor, i I representing the Pukemiro Collieries, J Ltd. On Wednesday a resolution was ■ adopted by the Pukemiro Miners , Union ! which, subject to the ratification of the secretary of the Miners' Federation, Mr. ! J. Arbuckle, gave Mr. Hally full permis- j eion to arrive at a settlement with the I Coal Mine Owners' Association. The j action of the union was endorsed j by Mr. Arbucklc. It is now officially ] j announced that the miners will resume ' i operations on Monday. The memoran- \ dum of agreement arrived at runs as ; ', follows: — j " ( 1) That all the mine workers at : j the Pukemiro mine shall immediately I return to work. "(2) That the enginedrivers shall re- j main members of the Miners' Union j during the currency of the present ! agreement. "(3) That the engincdrivera shall remain on shift as may be required by the employers during any stoppage of work caused by striken, stop-work meetings, or any other cause of n similar nature. "(4) That work shall be resumed as usual on Monday, October 18. "(5) This agreement is signed in accordance with the resolution passed by the Pukemiro Miners' Union at a general meeting held on October 13, to 1 the following effect:—'That the Pukemiro Miners' Union shall unreservedly place the matter in dispute ih the hands of Mr. P. Hally with full power to act on their behalf with the management of j the company, and that the members of | the union shall abide by whatever de- | cision shall be arrived at. This resolu- ' tion is subject to the following condi- | tions:—(l) That it is to operate only in j the event of a proposal made on October 12 regarding reference to the National Disputes Committee, and nov under con- j sideration by the employers, being rejected by them; (2) that the resolution of the union shall be endorsed by the secretary of the New Zealand Miners' Federation, Mr. J. Arbuckle.'" The agreement was signed on behalf of the Pukemiro Miners' Union by Mr. P. Hally, and on behalf of the * New \ Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association by Mr. W. Pryor. Mr. Maesey stated in the House that there had been another small dispute at the Kiripaka mine, in the North, which ■ was rather an important mine. Thin ' also had been settled. He hoped the j country would be able to go along quietly for some time to come and get ■ back to the position previously obtain- | ing. This was that we should obtain , from the coal mine* enough coal to keep Jus going without difficulty, with the exception of some supplies from Newcastle for the manufacture of gas.