LESS THAN TWENTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1932, Page 8

LESS THAN TWENTY.

MINES AFFECTED BY STRIKE. COAL OWNERS' VIEWPOINT. WAY OPEN TO CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. In a statement to-day the secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Federation said it was absurd to suggest that 180 mines were affected. The number of mines operated by mining companies and concerned in the dispute was less than 20.

Reviewing the history of the dispute. Mr. Bishop said in April last owners in two districts gave notice of their intention to introduce new working terms and conditions. The request of the union for a conference was agreed to, and this was to have been held in Auckland on May 0. On that day the Hikurangi miners went on strike a"s a protest against the dismissal of i>r> men by the Hikurangi Company. Who: , , the conference opened the owners stipulated that the strike must be called oil" as a condition of negotiation, and they received from the miners' delegates thii promise that every effort would be made to persuade the men to go back ro work. The conference continued for twr. days, but on the second day it was announced that the strikers would not act upon the advice of their representatives, and the conference was therefore adjourned.

At the cud of a week the strike was called off and work \vn« resumed. Thu owners then fixed a date for the resumption of the conference, hut before the conference could be held Hikurangi was visited by a delegate from another district, a meeting of the local union was held, and a second strike took placo. Notwithstanding this, the conference between the owners and miners was again opened in Auckland on May 24, but the owners stipulated that before they would discuss other working terms and conditions the minora must agree that the owners should have the rightto engage and discard men at their own discretion as might be necessary to meet circumstances of the case.

''This right, which is exercised bv every other employer in Xew Zealand, is denied to mine owners by the miners' organisation," said Mr. Bishop. "The present dispute is on that issue alone. When that is settled there will be no difficulty about a conference upon other working terms and conditions."