GOOD RESPONSE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 2, 3 January 1945, Page 5

GOOD RESPONSE

BY N.S.W. MINERS <

Early Resumption After j| Christmas Holidays ?': ''• -N.Z.P.A. Special Cot-respondent Rec. 10 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. All except five collieries in New South Wales resumed production, yesterday, in accordance with the directions from the Federal Government and the executive of the Miners' Federation, shortening the miners' holidays from 16 to 10 days. About 80 per cent of the miners reported for work. The coal loss from absenteeism for the first working day of 1945 will be about 13,000 tons. No mine is idle to-day on the garnishee issue, which was a main cause of the trouble in the coal industry before the Christmas holidays and the threatened development of a general strike. Union officials and representatives of the colliery owners expressed gratification at the good response made by the miners to the order to shorten their holidays, especially in view of the short notice given. The secretary of the Miners' Federation, Mr. G. W. Grant, said he hoped that peace on the Australian coalfields would be secured as the result of the work of the promised commission of inquiry into the coal industry. Questions which, he proposed to submit to the commission for examination included: The guaranteeing of a minimum wage for mine workers for three or four years after the end of the war: the imposition of a levy of a few pence per ton on all coal produced in Australia to provide for coalfield towns with such amenities 'as better housing, modern canteen's, hospitals and recreation facilities; the establishment _of secondary industries in all mining centres; the introduction of a production quota at each mine in the post-war period; the granting of assistance to- enable continuation of work at mines where high production costs have created a competitive disadvantage. . . •