WAIKATO MINES IDLE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21865, 19 August 1936, Page 10

WAIKATO MINES IDLE

- ♦- ONE-DAY STOPPAGE FOR MEETINGS . OWNERS DENY RECEIVING NOTIFICATION WORKERS DESIRE SETTLEMENT* OF DISPUTES tPBESS ASSOCIATJOJ; IELEOBASi. AUCKLAND, August IS. No work was done at the Glen Afton, and Rotowaro mines to* day, when the 700 men employed attended a series of meetings at Huntly and at the mines to discus* points that are in-dispute with their employers. It was decided after a long discussion to resume work tomorrow, pending further negotiations with the employers and with the national organisation concerned with the hearing of disputes. The meetings held to-day wera prolonged but orderly, and the decision to return to work was unanimous. Work was not interrupted at either the Pukemiro or Wihoa mines.

“We received no notification mac there was going to be a stoppage and. we do not know now what it is about,” said the president of ,ie New Zealand Coal M.ne Owners’ Association. (Mr W. D. Holgate), when asked whether ha coma throw any light ca the action of the Waikato miners.

Mr Holgate explained that a conference was held la Wellington last tmonth between the Mine Owners’ Association and tha United Mine Workers’ Union, when the owners were mid that the men desired to have the wages and conditions of 1931 restored, ’ The next day legislation on this point was passed, and representatives of che workers were again met. It was agreed that the 1931 wages and conditions were to be restored, and it was understood that the agreement would remain in force until the end of this year. Stop-work Meetings “Since then, there have been in- - numerable stop-work meetings, which have disorganised our business very considerably,” said Mr Holgate. “la. fact, the business of the companies has been 'disorganised in this Way during 1 the last two or three months. We have never been given any reasons. We have heard rumours, but we cannot . take any notice of tnese. Now the men in three cf the mines—Taupiri, Glen Afton, and Renown —are not working, and we still do not know why.” Mr Holgate said that all agreements - ! were made by the mine owners with the miners’ Dominion organisation, and it was not customary to negotiate with the men in any one district. No request had been made by the Waikato milters for a conference since the 1931 rates were restored. He said that the owners had never refused to meet the men in conference and the meu knew that if they ever wanted to meet the pwners. they only had to make ap- ■ plication through the United Mine Workers’ Union to the Mine Owners* .- Mr Holgate added that the Taupiri Company had received a telephone message from its manager at 12.30 p_m, saying that the men had notified Him that they would be back at work onWednesday morning. Coal Dealers Prepared It is apparent that the present stoppage was not entirely unexpected in the coal trade in the city. Several of the city coal merchants said that occasional stoppages had led them to believe that there might be trouble in the mines, and tney had taken the precaution of obtaining additional stocks of coal. They would thus be able to fill orders for some time, even if the mines were closed down. A statement covering the miners* attitude and explaining the reasons for their ceasing work to-day, was made by Mr T. Hall, jun., secretary of th® Northern Coal Mine Industrial Union of Workers. “In the last six months we have had six disputes not -covered by the existing agreement,” Mr Hall said, “Under a clause in the agreement ; we are entitled to demand what is , called a disputes committee to be‘set up representing both the employers and employees for discussing points : in disppte. Failing a decision, there, is the right to appoint an independent chairman, whose decision is final. Approach to Employers We have approached the. Coal MineOwners’ Association three times in the _ last five weeks, asking that they shook* j meet us and discuss matters not cov- ! ered by the agreement. On Saturday. we received a definite reply from Jttr ! T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New - 1 Zealand Coal Mine Owners* Assocai tion, that they were not prepared meet us. We went to work yesterday because we had decided that failing 'a ; - r favourable reply from the Coal Mine Owners’ Association we should stop., the mines this morning to discuss the , matter. We notified the mine owners' 1 to that effect a week ago. “It is in no sense a strike,” said Mr Hall, “but because cf the mines and mine owners being scattered, a day off is required to get round all the members organised in the district. ] r “A meeting was held in the railway station this morning, and it was intended to go to work to-day. in spite of the previous decision, but the masting was so prolonged that the trains and buses left for the mines without the men. By this evening, the whole. ■ of the members of the union had reached one decision —to return to work to-morrow, pending further negotiations. “The points it was proposed to bring before the disputes committee related to, the payment of miners engaged in assisting truckers in the Renown mine, this work not being covered by the agreement, and the payment of miners at the McDonald mine at Glen Aftoa engaged in drawing timber, which is the miners’ term for removing props v in a pillar retreat.”