LABOUR QUESTIONS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10132, 3 September 1898, Page 8

LABOUR QUESTIONS.

THE SOUTH WALES MINERS' STRIKE TERMS- OF THE PROPRIETORS ACCEPTED. THE COST OF THE STRIKE. Telegraph—Copyright. United Press Association—By Electric LONDON, September 1. The miners on strike in New South Wales, by a 2 to 1 majority, have accepted the terms of the proprietors, who agree to an immediate advance of 5 per cent, above the wages previously current. This advance is to be fixed, under, agreement, for four years, unless the wages under the sliding scale fall 124 per cent, below those of 1879. Strong opposition is still offered to the employers' proposal for the abolition of juabon's Day, the monthly holiday, but the question has been left to the decision of the provisional committee. It is estimated that the strike has cost the district seven millions sterling. September 2. yr to surrender" the claim to "Maboh's Day." In a letter to the Coal-owners' Association, Cardiff, on July 13th, the Provisional Committee of the miners'on strike, through their Secretary, offered the following terms as a basis of discussion: — "That the principle of the selling price of coa], automatically applied, shall operate in the regulation of wages according to a scale of figures to be agreed upon, subject to the following reservation: That in the event of the average selling price of coal coming down below or going above a certain point to be agreed upon, the wage rate shall be fixed by a conciliation board, to have a system attached thereto that will ensure a decision in all cases. "Such conciliation board to deal with all matters of dispute arising out of the agreement. ■-~_. "With regard to the "Mabon's Day my Committee is prepared to discuss a modification of the existing practice. "My Committee will, in the event of a meeting with your Committee, be prepared to discuss the amount of immediate advance upon which work will be resumed, pending the fixing of wage under a new agreement, work to be resumed immediately after the signing of an agreement." Representatives of the masters and men then met in conference. During the discussion, as reported in the "Daily News," the Chairman of the Coal-owners' Association, distinctly and emphatically stated that upon no consideration would the owners (who were perfectly unanimous) be prepared to submit to the decision of a third party, any question affecting the control or working of their collieries. , The chairman invited the workmen's representatives to state the exact terms proposed iv regard to the details of their proposed scale, the exact amount of the suggested specified minimum and maximum, and also the exact amount of immediate advance in wages proposed, but the workmen's representatives declined to give- any informatiou whatever upon either point, unless the employers would first of all agree to their stipulation for an umpire. In further response to the question of the chairman as to whether the men absolutely declined all discussion unless the employers agreed to the stipulation of the workmen's request as to an umpire, the workmen's representatives retired, and upon their return reiterated their decision that unless the employers complied with their requirement as to an umpire no discussion of any terms could take place. In the face of this attitude of the workmen's representatives, coupled with their persistent refusal to discuss the terms open to all the pits of the association since the 6th of April, the chairman intimated that the employers, after considering the whole question, had no alternative but to decide themselves as to tho terms upon which the collieries would be open fee work in the future, and he regretted very much the failure of these further negotiations, which was entirely due to the workmen's representatives. The employers subsequently issued a notice in which they stated that "after giving the whole matter most serious consideration with the view of arriving at a general settlement, they are prepared to make a final effort to put an end to the strike, and hereby substitute the following terms for those put up at the Associated Colleries on the 11th of April last: — 'This is to give notice, that from the 18th day of July, 1889, this colliery will be open for work upon the following terms and conditions, viz.: — "1. The terms and conditions of the sliding scale agreement (known as the "Old Scale'), which terminated upon the 31st March last, to be embodied in an agreement which shall continue in force until the Ist of January, 1902, and may be determined by six months' notice on either side, to be given on the Ist of July, 1901, or the Ist January, 1902, or any other following Ist of July or Ist of January. "2. The monthly holiday known as Mabon's Day shall be abolished, and no other holiday of a like nature will be permitted. , "3. That an immediate advance be given of 5 per cent, above the wages in force on the 31st March last, which shall merge into or form part of such advance as shall be found to be due under the scale." The men tl*,en withdrew all their propcsals, and their delegates met in conference. The result of this is stated by the official report to have been aa follows:.—"A di*-

cussion arose as to the future policy, when it wa•» unanimously decided to re-__irm our former resolution that we do not entertain the question of a sliding scale as regulator of wages in future. It was also agreed to authorise the Provisional Committee to go in for a Conciliation Board, with an umpire and a wage minimum of 224 per cent, above the standard of 1879.; Owing to this decision, says the "Daily News," anot*3ier deadlock has arisen. Owners have repeatedlydeclared that any future system of regulating wages must be on the basis of a sliding scale. The Provisional Committee were understood to have practically agreed to this, if a minimum were conceded. The effect of the latest decision, however, is to render a settlement on the basis of a scale impossible. The men repeat their demand for a 10 per cent, advance, for this is what is meant by the 22£ per cent, above the standard, while the owners offer only 5 per cent., with a scale. A Conciliation Board with an umpire has also been repeatedly rejected by the owners. Subsequently the. "Daily News, in a leading article, after, stating that the South Wales colliers were doing a good deal to alienate public sympathy; said: "Meanwhile, the responsibility of the present deadlock has been shifted to the shoulders of the men. The offer of the owners to revert to the status quo Avith an interim advance of 5 per cent, was a very conciliatory step. It lay with the men on their side to meet it by suggesting a practical minimum. So far from doing this, they have now actually raised their terms. They still refuse a scale, they still demand an umpire; but further, the minimum wage they demand is 22£ per cent, above the standard, which is equivalent to a selling price of 10s 6.86 d a ton. The extreme limit of their demands hitherto has been 10s a ton, and even that has been regarded as a mere basis for bargaining."