MINERS CEASE WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 235, 3 October 1936, Page 4

MINERS CEASE WORK.

GOLDEN SANDS MEN. | OTHERS MAY BE INVOLVED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, Thursday. As their demands for increased wages were refused, the men employed by the Golden Sands Company ceased work at midnight. Mining authorities are concerned at the prospect of the trouble spreading. It is reported that many of the miners arc not prepared to accept the terms of an agreement reached by their representatives with the employers. A report from Barrytown states f hat the Golden Sands employees are determined to press their claims, and have enlisted the support of other minors A meeting of employees of all gold dredges in the Ilokitika district was held in the Hokitika Town Hall to consider the terms of the agreement arrived at in conciliation council. The meeting expressed its strong disapproval of the manner in which the secretary of the union had conducted a ballot throughout the unions. A resolution was passed expressing the view that steps-should be taken to have the situation fully reviewed* lor that purpose a meeting is to be called for next Sunday in Grevmouth Ihe meeting at Hokitika promised'its support in whatever action was taken. The miners particularly concerned in tiie present negotiations are those of the Barrytown Gold Dredging Company, \\ lute s Electric Dredge and the Golden bands Company. It now becomes apparent that both the alluvial and dredge miners are cot.ccrned ■ m the dispute. Under the alluvial mine and dredge workers' award the wag-s of Golden Sands employees were fixed at 16-' a day, but they claim that this is not , sulncient. They asked for wages ranging from 17/ to 19/ a day for different classes 1 ot workers. Previous to the agreement : being entered into, their wages were 14/ a day. !

The secretary of the Golden Sands Com- , , , • .Hindin), interviewed in Lhiistchurch, said that the decision of the company, announced previously, not to meet the men's demands, still stood. The men had apparently walked off the iob of their own initiative. The company was quite prepared to abide by the term's of the agreement recently entered into but would not go beyond them. The date of the reopening of the mine depended on when a new staff could be employed. "We will probably wait a few days to see if the men persist in their attitude, said. Mr. Hindin. "[£ they do we shall have to see about staffing the mine. If some of the old men coine back we may employ them."