TWO COAL MINES IDLE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27695, 27 June 1955, Page 12

TWO COAL MINES IDLE

DISPUTE REMAINS UNSETTLED “LOCK OUT” ALLEGED BY MINERS’ PRESIDENT (From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH, June 26. The dispute involving members of the Grey Valley Deputies’ Union and the Runanga State Miners’ Union remains unsettled. The dispute arose last Thursday when members of the deputies’ union sought to delete or amend a certain part of a report into the death of a miner who was killed in the Liverpool mine on June 18. Since that time the Liverpool and Strongman State mines have been idle. Today members of the deputies' union held a meeting and decided to stand by their original decision. This evening the president of the miners’ union (Mr R. H. Mitchell) issued the following statement on the dispute:— “Contrary to any opinions already expressed, the bold fact remains that members of the Runanga State Miners’ Union have been locked out by the unjustified action of members of the deputies’ union,” said Mr Mitchell. “Last Saturday week an unfortunate accident occurred at the Liverpool Mine and one of our members was killed. In accordance with Section 145 of the Coal Mines Act, the union workmen’s inspectors accompanied by the mine's inspector, the mine manager and the police made an inspection of the site of the accident and wrote a reportf in which was contained their opinion of the cause of the accident. “The deputies at the Rewanui mine objected to part of the report and demanded that it be deleted from the report or the report amended, otherwise they would refuse to carry out their duties underground with the exception of pumping and general safety,” said the statement. “On the morning the ultimatum was laid down by the deputies the union workmen’s inspectors offered to discuss the matter with them and other mine officials but the reply received was that they were not interested. From Wednesday the position further deteriorated and the deputies at the Strongman mine adopted the same attitude with the result that Strongman mine workers were also locked out. “It must be reiterated that the members of the Runanga State Miners’ Union were prepared to work last week and were prepared to work again tomorrow,” said the statement. “The attitude adopted by the deputies is directed against the right of elected officials of the miners’ union to make an honest report and to give what in their opinion was the cause of any accident they are required to make a report on.

“Every endeavour has been made by the Runanga State Miners’ Union to have the dispute settled but so far all negotiations have been fruitless. Our members have all lost three days’ pay and some have lost four days’ pay and this, despite the fact that the deputies who are responsible for us being locked out, have, received their pay in full,” he said. It is believed ttwt Mr C. H. Benney, the Under-Secretary for Mines, will fly to Greymouth tomorrow morning to investigate the position.