NOTICE POSTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 87, 13 April 1933, Page 7

NOTICE POSTED.

MINES IN WAIKATO.

ATTITUDE OF EMPLOYEES.

CESSATION OP WORK POSSIBLE

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

HUNTLY, this day.

At a stop-work meeting of Huntly miners yesterday a resolution was carried by an overwhelming majority that in the event of the Renown Collieries enforcing the proposed wages deferment, work at the mine would cease.

A notice was posted at the Renown mine to-day stating that owing to the drastic cut in coal prices well below the cost of production the company found it necessary to work under a new agreement from Tuesday next.

These arrangements were explained to the employees by the chairman of directors on Monday last and involve deferment of portion of the miners' wages.

The posting of the notice will apparently result in the Glen Afton, McDonald, Taupiri and Eenown mines being idle from to-day. Employees of this mine are all members of the one union. The men state that there is a joint agreement, made in January last, and any departure from it would be a breach of the undertaking. It was pointed out to-day that with the Easter holidays pending there would be no work done at the mines until Tuesday next. Wage Postponement Scheme. Stop-work meetings at Glen Afton, McDonald, Taupiri and Renown t coal mines were held yesterday to discuss certain aspects of the coal "war." Miners view the present situation with gravity. The price of coal on trucks at the mines about two yearn - ago was 24/6 a ton. The rate was reduced about a year - ago to 18/6, sind, with the development of the coal "war," a further reduction of 10/ a ton was made early this month. It is stated that companies are now forced to sell coal at 6/ to 7/ a ton less than it costs to produce. It is understood that, because of this drastic price-cutting; representing a reduction of nearly 50 per cent, some of the companies have asked the miners to agree to a postponement of payment of about 20 per cent of their wages. Renown's Proposal. An explanation on behalf of Renown Collieries, Ltd., was made this morning. The company proposed that its miners should agree to a postponement of the payment of portion of their wages during the period of the coal "war." It was emphasised that there was no dispute between the company and the men.