DEADLOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 122, 25 May 1932, Page 3

DEADLOCK.

COAL MINERS AND OWNERS. CONFERENCE BREAKS DOWN. STATEMENT BY PROPRIETORS. After a deadlock had been reached between the Nor thorn District Coal Mine Workers' Union and the northern members of tho New Zealand Coal Mino Owners' Association yesterday, the following statement was made by Mr. T. 0. Bishop, secretary of the owners' association:— "Tho conference between the Northern District Coal Miners' Union and the northern members of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association, which was broken off on May 7, was resumed. Tho cause of the breakdown of negotiations on May 7 was the strike at Hikurangi, the coal owners declining to discuss cither their own proposals for a new district agreement or the men's counter-proposals while the strike continued. "In the interim the Hikurangi men decided to resume work, nnd did resume on May 15. The secretary of the district union advised the coal owners of this decision, and as a result it was agreed to reopen the conference. However, the Hikurangi men, at a meeting last weekend, reversed their former decision and again went on strike, so that the position when the respective parties met that day was exactly tho same as it was on May 7, when negotiations were broken off. "Opening the sitting, the president of tho Coal Mine Owners' Association, Mr. W. D. Holgate, expressed regret that the Hikurangi men had gone on strike again, becauso the mine owners were not prepared to retreat from the stand they had taken on May 7, and discuss the terms of a new agreement while a section of the men concerned were on strike At tho same time they desired to bring the trouble to an end as speedily as possible, and he proposed, therefore, that as the question at issue between the Hikurangi union and tho company was the right of the company to discharge men when necessary, that question should be discussed and settled, after which the conference might proceed on the general proposals. Proposal By Owners. "The owners' proposal was that a clause be embodied in the agreement as follows: —'The manager of every mine shall have the unrestricted right to engage and discharge men at his own discretion.' If the union would agree to that and call off the strike the conference would proceed. After a very brief discussion, an adjournment was taken until the afternoon. On resumption the president of the union, Mr. R. Roberts, submitted the following statement: — " 'Providing that trade requirements are such that the coalowners require a reduction of employees, we, acting as the Northern Miners' Union, are prepared to agree to same, providing that a system is reached that is satisfactory to the Northern miners, as far as dismissing and re-engaging men is concerned, and further, providing that they are prepared to discus 6 proposals for a new agreement.' Union Decision. "After discussion at some length, the conference again adjourned to enable the owners to consider the argument of the men, and' on the conference resuming the union delegates were informed that the owners were not prepared to abrogate the principle that the management of a mine should have the right to discharge or engage men without restriction, nor were they prepared to adopt the suggestion of the union that a sub-committee of tho conference be set up to endeavour to draft a, clause more acceptable to the men, because it was considered that the disputes committee provisions of the agreement in force afforded' ample machinery to deal with any case arising out of the discharge of men and requiring special consideration. "The union delegates without retirement announced that they could not accept the decision, and it would he useless to discuss it further.' The owners then stated they were willing to meet the union again upon work being resumed at Hikurangi, but if work was not resumed before Juno 4 the owners proposals would bo put into effect in the Waikato mines on that date." Miners Meet To-day. The miners' delegates sent to the conference sat all morning at their hotel discussing the deadlock and what action should be taken. The meeting started at 9 o'clock and adjourned at 1.15, commencing again at 2 o'clock. No decision has yet been reached. It was expected that the men would return to their homes to-day, but now it is likely that they will not go home until to-morrow.