QUICKLY ENDED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 4, 6 January 1937, Page 3

QUICKLY ENDED.

STRIKE OF MINERS. KAMO AND RUATANGATA. WORK RESUMED TO-DAY. (By Telegraph.—Own WHAXGAREI, this day. Further trouble occurred yesterday in the Xorth Auckland coal mining area. At a stopwork meeting of men from the Kamo and Ruatangata collieries at Kamo yesterday afternoon it was decided to go on strike until the 10 per cent increase in pay for day wages men was granted by the owners, the increase to be retrospective to the date when a similar amount was granted by the Hi k lira ngi Company. The strike, however, settled today, and tlie men returned to work. The owners' offer to increase the pay for day wages men by 10 per cent, and refer tlie question of arrears to December 1 to arbitration was accepted. There are about 70 men engaged at the Kamo mine and about 10 at Ruatangata, Mr. C. A. Latham, secretary of the Miners' Union, said yesterday that the 10 per cent increase had been granted by practically every coal company in New Zealand when the reduction in working hours from 45 to 40 was made, the increase having been granted to recompense the men for the loss in working hours. The increase was also in keeping with the Governments policy of improving working conditions. There was no legal machinery for enforcing the increase, and as the companies were not prepared to fall into line with the other employers the miners had no option but to strike. Mr. W. M. Fraser, director of Kamo Collieries, Ltd., said that as far as his company was concerned it had entered into a working agreement with the men for the restoration of tlie 1931 award rates, the terms of which had been approved by Mr. A. McLagan, general secretary of the United Mine Workers of New Zealand. The agreement had expired on December 31, and his company had had no warning until yesterday. Referred to Arbitration. The directors of Kamo Collieries held a meeting last night, and it was decided to pay the 10 per cent increase as from yesterday, and that the question of arrears to December 1, when a similar amount was granted by the Hikurangi company, be referred to arbitration, with an independent chairman. At Hikurangi the men employed on the drives are still on strike, the trouble being over hack wages. About £100 is involved. The company has not admitted liability and the amount has not been paid. Mr. L. J. Stevens, chairman of directors of the company, Mr. W. Barclay, inspector of mines, and Mr. C. P. Collins, inspector of factories and awards, spent yesterday in trying to effect a settlement. The safety men have not been removed from the mine as the men regard this as a step to be taken only as a last resort.