DOBSON MINE Extension Of Closing Date Sought

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 22

DOBSON MINE Extension Of Closing Date Sought

(From Our Own Reporter)

GREYMOUTH, August 11.

In order to alleviate the hardship which is expected to follow the closing of the Dobson State mine on September 30 the Dobson Miners’ Union has made an appeal to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake), the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Marshall) and the Minister of Mines (Mr Shand) to extend the life of the mine to December 20.

“For the sake of the industry and the economy of Greymouth, it is vital that as many of the State mine workmen be retained in jobs in the Greymouth district as possible,” said a letter to the Ministers.

“This cannot be done in the few weeks before September 30,” said the letter.

“A large number of the present work force will have to accept the unemployment benefit because only a limited number of men can be placed in mines and other local employment in the short time available.

“By delaying the closing till December 20 there would be a phasing out process of manpower and production. This ckn effectively be achieved and in so doing reduce the hardship that is apparent already in this district both to the mine workers and others on whom a premature closing must have severe effects. Production Needs

“The union would be prepared to adopt a reasonable attitude and negotiate with the department to meet any alterations involved in the extending of the production date from September 30 to December 20. “The union knows of some people who are ready to move out of the district and because of transfers it would be necessary to reduce still further the number of pairs of miners at the coal face. “We do at present have orders for Dobson coal that ean be retained if closure is deferred till December 20,’ said the letter. Protest Meeting

The secretary-organiser for the Canterbury - WestlandBuller area of the New Zealand Public Service Association (Mr J. M. McKenzie) said in Greymouth at the weekend that the Greymouth public servants were shortly to call a “mass” protest meeting over the announcement of the closing of the Dobsori mine on September 30. “I was appalled to learn that the Minister and three under-secretaries to the Mines Department had made a special visit to Greymouth to address ‘specially invited guests’ to disclose the closing date of the Dobson mine," said Mr McKenzie. “Yet the same Minister and his chief advisers did not have the fortitude nor the decency to travel another nine miles and meet the members of my organisation, who

were not among the specially invited guests, to advise them of their fate.

“Among these members of the staff are men of long and faithful service to the department and men and women who have heavy family obligations,” said Mr McKenzie. “Mr Shand did not put up a case to show that it was

economically sound to close the mine—in fact, we could bring up a case to show that it would be economic disaster to close the mine.

“To this very moment the staff have not been told by the State Services Commission as to what the future holds for them.

“Rumours are rife. People with families to maintain have learned through rumours that they could be transferred hundreds of miles from their present homes.

“Other members have been told that if a job turns up outside: ‘You might be wise to take it,' ” said Mr McKenzie.