COAL MINES DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 233, 26 June 1920, Page 9

COAL MINES DISPUTE

■MATTERS AT STANDSTILL ';. U STATEMENTS FOR BOTHPARTIES ■ > '.Jhe following statement: was 'issued ; to , ]ho. Press yesterday by the secretary 'of '. the Miners' Federation (Mr. J. Arbuo'kle): .' ."I have been asked to make a atate- ! menl In regard: to the disputes existing ■■;. at the Hikurangi,. Kiripaka, Nightcapß, ■ and Green Island miners.' In doing this . I .must go -;baok .to -the first conference: that- was held between the: Coal Owners' ■ lAssooiation and the Miners' Federation in , August, ..when one of the principal points : !,that,we failed to agree :unon, was that.the increase granted ..should apply'.•.' to every : •' union; while.. the ;owners wished to exempt: Kiripaka, and one or: two other ' rnineß.'"., After.'the ; conference broke up, '.and i-the:,Prime Minister "was'-'trying to : . another conference, the Miners' Federation, refused; to agree to Biich an-. :,.other, conference until it was agreed, that ; ahy-'inorease that''might .-be . granted 'should .apply' to Kiripaka and other: amines..: ThiSi?-. wit's -pointed rout in-the' ■Press and .to tho Prin"v Minister. 'Atthe conference held in February, it was agreed .that all' workers in , and about ■.' the mineß,' members, of. the.' federation, ■ : phould,;get; an "increase • of; 30. per cent. ; for .wages hands, and; 25 ner ( .cent. -for ■■'tonnage.: or contract, workers:.or 60 per 6ent. for contract workers, -and 60 'per ■.-'cent;'-for ,-wago -.workers onv pre-war. rates.: But what do "we'flndf' Only this: that the: owners have again refused to carry ; •out tho. agreement entered into; and to jrbve.thjs Ivwill,deal, with each "case 'Mioparately; .taking.Kiripaka.-first/ ■ vV-.--.■ ;' ; kiripaka, j J;,K,i >.' : -'-;-,: ! ; :, "When vthe. union met. the manager of; the Kiripalfi colliery, he-granted the' increase to. the - wages' hands.but refused to. ..grant any,-increase: to ■-the.;contract men,■' ■jand he*:bas not given l , them one penny. ■ Ihorease.;. Hlfl; reason' for;this, -he Btates,' '/is that the amount he.lsfnow paying; is. .''more than'6o:per: cent.-'-increase on pre-.: :--war. rates;: but how'he arrives at this ■position is; more than I, or. any other average person, can tell, as'the present; "Kiripaka mine ; .was .hot .'working before ; -■thei war,, .and'was never ;;on a, tonnage '■■basis, tho work being done on"day wages: ' arid'bonus.and by contract,;.so. that there .Is no pre-war.-rate, for' this mine.' The. . owners 'say'we can fix ■ a , nre-.war rate.'; We.on the other hand; say, the rate has already:Vbeen<;.nsed, ; antl'Uhe agreement ■ 'signed; on -May 24, 1919. .The. owners in : reply,; to, this, say there'was an.«ld agreement made in 1909, to ! cover, another mine whioh was' working at .that, time in an'other hill-going in the'opposite direction. . These; rates;, we claim,' are: the pre-war ~rates.:.' Now,./ I"would point' out- that- '-. this; old: mine'.'was, working.; on':ii. grade.

'~-,that allowed of ..the'coal (being filled into -.'truck's, and' being trucked from ; the, work-,. ■'.', vlneface, while the coal, in'the" newmine* ■''■■ yiß almost .on',end, and,"l;' : believe, on a .: 'irrade .of about' 65. degrees, 'or : steeper, <• ,thanono In one, so, that,it would-be out j '-.-; 'of all reason; to % .ask men to, hew coal '■' -in snoh-:,steep -workings, ---'at' the.'Bame" .-" .'price ]a3 ""; workings '.'■ on a•' Blight .grade. ■; ::■:" 'fchere'are.-iriany.'more points'that could/ ~:••■be brought out,' but I 'l think this.will Ue - ''sufficient for theVpresent/ and will allow ; ; the, public to' see how.' the owners. carry/ ; 'out their iagreemeuts. I would also .;,-; mind the-.puDlic that the.coal price was. ' .;,/inoreased, to meot.the advance - which tno; ./-.; miners .'never rieoeiTed.'.. i'V'v'r;'.: •v'-/''':-^,' ; 'P^ en Island.;/- '~: - :;' .-.■'::■ '.'.'To.,explain;! the .position in- Green Is-' •'■■'■ land'mine I will have to' so.back. to.the. '■/■ strike in,the Green Island mines in ■ '•".„;. 1919,' when the men struck.. against the ';.'■.system-: of .filling.. l three."classes; of, coal,. ;'; namely,; household coal that was '•':handfilled and paid for 'at the rate of so much '. ;;; a-' truck., Owing;' to. the'-:fact -that .tiiu : men ..were -;not receiving what- they cbn- .'. 'sidered. a -fair deal-,from'Vthe manager .. -in .regard: to the amount of coal filled at: .the higher price, they asked the manage- ■'';■"■' ment -,to. .meet' them on this, and - other; .matters,.but the latter. Refused to so iueetj .the/men, .and.the , men.'-strUek. , After-; ■' -they;had.; been' on striko;for; a •consider-; , : -able time. ,a ; conference .was ; . arranged. ;," iwhen it .wsb; agreed,'that they, should.al-' .'.'.. .ter the system of .filling, the .coal and' '- tho 'following agreement was. entered .in-; .'■: : to:—A :flat 'rale of 18..2id..'-ner.,truok fw' . ''/allcbal-forMlled.'inoluslve.of war,bonu's;' - .' oo'al.to bo' filled free' from .dross; truck:' ■'■■'. ?' ers iwages'- 145. : per. Bhift,';.and."shiftmen - '15b. ' per'; shift,': inclusive of war : ionus: — ■■; 'youthß to' be' paid, 14' year's .55.; 9d.; 15 ••■■•■■/'years,. 7s.i 16 . vears, 9s. :• '17 years.. '9a..- ■"..-■ ■*• 9di;-"18 years. iK;3d.: 19, .years." 12s. ,6d.;,; '*'? 'engine-drivers'to"be".classed;' '•'as At'the"'time : this ; !agrce.ment was arrived at., the war. bonus was . Es'per cent.,: for; miners and .30 per cent.; ;'.',for wages hands,, and .when tljo extra 25 .';, 'per cent:,.and 30 per..cent.'was'granted; '-"the",owners refused.to..pay.'the increase,; : "■' ;and they .olaim'that. they are now nay-;. /"''lng over the pre-war,.price ■ and ' bonus ?.'. : included, 'v. Yet 'this, Bysteni': was'.' not, in, , ■',: existence/until .1919,' and: the rate then" istruok 'was 1 to "'cover the, bonus "granted ' up/to that date. Now.- they want 1 the :: "men to. accept a-20'ber co'nt. increase in \:,'place of ;25. per, cent/;, . There', is also ,a .' dispute, one youth ..who, was' Beven-, ■••'. teen .years old" when .the'agreement was :',;'■ : arrived ■ at:, whom-; they; paid tho' 9«. : 9d. ,

; -/,: agreed upon.-. This hoy -has' now reach" : \.'ed.-the aße : of eighteen years, and; under .': '■ /the 1919 agreement;. ,he; receives, 11b. 3d,, •*' per day..•..: They "have ( paid:; him ' ; , this; : i- ; 'sum,'but - refuse to give'him 'any' increase. ■fromtheSl) per ctfnt. igranted at the con-.;' -,-ference. ~We claim.that he should have '■■:-' v ;the amount of. the first bonus deducted; :"" and: the 6C per cent, added, which would .- ■-,'.,' give him the last 30.per .cent,.increase.■ ■'; I would like to draw 1 the attention of ,' 'sthe public to the capers ot\ this-com-.pany—which.-is in. keeping-with-the rest. ..■of-them.■',■. 'When tho 1919 agreement was arrived; at the .company.' said . it: would ' ..cost, them much more to 'run''.the mine, ..-.:,"; 'under, the -new .system, and.!that they : '.' were forced .to. increase , the- price of: -'-' coal : , by. 45,,: per. ton, although .they were. .'.;■ now. Belling, them, not houßohold' coal,, but ■■'■,' : fork-filled' 0r... steam :'coal.v; whioh' cost '.' them' about ls.'6di per ton', less 'than "the 'hand-filled, or/ household -coal; ■• : Yet,; r ;. when the increase was: granted 'at the "conference they also increased tho price • :of coal allegedly toUhe nublio to *cover : an inorease. of- 50.: per cont., and 60, per i '''sent. ,■•'■'■■.''■ ■■■''. '■' ',''[■' ,■ ' :■■ -!i■■'/'''■■' Hikurariai. . '";'.',''■'.'■'■".'/ ... "There' were,five' small disputes at . ,: 'Hikurangl mine", and they wero all fixed .''up' but one,- and tho diflerbnce' between: "■ •' ust. wasid. per ton. . 'When-we refused •■'. to .give this away. Mr. : Allison - refused: ■'■ ■to allow the . settlement ./of'.the other four, and withdrew them,: and the nosi- ' :'tion is now .five, disputes,' when'there' vMshould: only-.be .one.. 7 .';■-..;■. "'' !, '', c V:/." Nightcaps, v ' ■' ■ ... "The'dispute at: Nightcaps was noti ~ discußsed, .owing'to the fact that tho : ' .company refused to'- be present. ..Thev .-defied the Ooal, Ownerß' Association / and , .-the, Prime Minister. . The following Is a "statement of the.nosttion at thje mine:, the'agreement, was signed on Feb- .--, ..xuary 28, thiß company, was . made a ••'.'■•■party to it,, but when : pay-day came •"-;-there was no increase'for them, and. It. v was• only : after a great-deal • of trouble; .'-Von the part of the union that the com pany agreed to .meet the'm on .April M, ~ .seven weeks, after the Increase was 'granted. After a, Ave hours' discussion 'the company, agreed to pay all the in-

creases, but when pay-day came.it was . .'found that "they had not paid the in. ' ..:■ crease"on yardage,' and not-only, .'had 7 'they refused -'to nay tho yardane', increase, but .had deducted the.' increase • ;- thev had been paying''an'"-to-the time of.- the national agreement-.coming, into -'-iforce. •' lt'wafl only when the men re-v'-'fused-to go to worlt that they paid the ■■.••ratß provided.' But' thevhavo not yet '■ paid ' tho 50; per . cent, for the' fortnight in whloh it -war. all deducted.- There is a band of stone In Lloyd's Dip, and the men receive 15s. tier fortnight for cleaning it out of the coal. \This should now be. with the'so per cent, added, B2a. 6d. Tho manager, however, refuses 'to pay tho 7b. 6d,.-increase. ' Ho also '•refuses ty pay the 19s. 2d. for men when, taken from the face to. do other; work. i cii- paying. them 18s. .. He further re fuses to nay the arrears from March 1. ' The "Co-Slow" Polioy. • "This is as full a Btatemont •as • it. is possible to* provide on tho different dis- " .putes, but I think it should be auite suf- " indent to enable the public to know how the miners'aro beine'treated." I would just like to add.this comment:-When the. ' go-slow started, tho coal-owners increased the price of coal so that they would not be at a loss.' At the conference it was stated that this would be taken into consideration when the price of coal was in-, creased to meet the increases wanted to tho miners. But what do -we find? Only this: That there was no reduction as far '' - as the 'go-alow' increase was concerned, ' but a further increaso in price that was . more than doublo in proportion to what . the miners received, allowing for 25 per cent, to contract workers, and W nor cent, to wages hands, and they are now tr.vine to do the smaller unions out of their increase. Thi'i is a condition that Hie "■• Test of the unions in tho federation will not stand for: and I do not think the public will a?reo to it being 'fought at their expense. After the deadlock between the representatives on the National Dis- • "putes Oomniittee, it was suggested by the owners that a chairman should ho appointed to give a, decision on tho matters in dispute. We airrccd .to this if. ho (the chairman) would be instructed to trive me decision alomr 'the liheß of tho spirit 'of the February conference, and not on the literal intemretatlon of the clauso 'granting the increase. This ther havo

refused, and fho trouble must be fought out aßjboat'we can and on tho nietnods decided by the men themselves." '• • ■ . JR. PRYOH REPLY . ATTITUDE OF THE MINE-OWNERS. ' .Commenting on the nbovo statement, Mr. W. Pryor (secretary of. the New Zealand Coal-iniuers' -Association) Baid it was useless to go into all points in'dispute. It was sufhoient to say there wore disputes in the mines mentioned, and the parties themselves having ■■ been unable to arrive "at a settlement in' regard to them, they were dealt with by the National Disputes Oommltteo, which met in Wellington last 'week. Evon'then no agreement could be arrived at. The agreement provides that a National Disputes Oommittce anooint a, chairman, if both sides agreed to refer ■the disputes to him for settlement, his deoision to be linal and bindine on both parties. . Tho Goal Mine-owners' renicqentativos on' tho Disputes Oommltteo offered to have the. several matters re ; ferred too- chairman,' but the miners representatives declined to. adopt that course. : ■•'• '•. . ' ; • "Vollowing.' that" said Mr. Pryor. n conference with the Prime Mlnißter, attended by representatives of both sides was held.; and although the '. nrooloyrrs were still nrepared Ho referthe matters to any chairman who ml»ht be appointed, the federation's representatives utill declined to entertain the proposal. Following that interview. I received intimation from tho Prlmo ■ Minister's office that, the federation would airreo to refer matters to a chairmin for delusion, if such chairman', would corner thn.jiornts In dispute according to the. nnirtt 'n -which the national agreement wan arrived at. and not according to the strict literal reading of the olaiiFPi relate to, tho Increased rates of pay.".

Owners' Only Condition. ■In, reply., to, that the "■Jollowjne. letter was sent to'tlie Prlmo Minister:—. "1 have-to'advise having communicated the .suggestion.you,received from thei Mow Zealand Miners' Federation on June 22, relative to the appointment of a chairman, to the members of the oxeoutlve of tn» association, proAoßal of the federation, aB I understood ik is that if the chairman ot any. new conference will consider,tlie points in dispute according to tho spirit in which the national agreement was arrived at. and.not according to the strict literal reading of the clauses ■relating to" the . increased rateß or-pay. they will be prepared to confer with the owners, and Buggest names for-considera-tion, for appointment a chairman. .">r the Prime Minister's decision. ■■_ "I anrnow inireceipt of replies from the'members of the executive who are all opposed to . the, suggestion put forward, land I am instructed to say that it would •bs impossible,t'o dictate to a. ohairman as to how he would decide the-Questions. put to him, as he would; have to conßlder the evidence submitted to him in accordance with tho terraß of the national agreement; which specially provides (clause 21) that should any dispute »rf«e. as to any matter affected by the agreement, the inten-. tion of the parties shall, as.far as poßsible, bb determined by reference to the official report of the proceedinss. ," ~ "I am ako instructed to renew the offers made to the federation In your nresence on Monday, evening last, viz.:—(l) That the oarties should asr'oe upon a o.hairman;■ or (2) to accept the decisions of the PrimeMinister; or (J) to "agree that the Primt Minister Bhould -appoint a. chairman; or. (4) to iagree' to your ; own susgestion that von should submit tho •names of four centlemen, from amongst which the vat-. . ties' should; agree ■ upon one to act as ohairman. . :'•... ; , "The only condition ■ tho coal-mine owners impose is that the, decisions of, the ohairman shall bo final and -binding on all parties. If that is agreed to the ooai-: mine owners are - prepared to arrange an erly date for the hearing; of the'matters tu dispute.-(Siened) William Pryor." "The abovp letter," said Mr. Pryor, "fully explainb the "position, and that In appointing a chairman it ls.-imposslblo to dictate to him, the methods; by which he shall arrive at,his decisions, especially ns tho agreement'and the'verbatim report of conference nroccedjngs will be at His disposal to-assist him. I.do, not see that any good purpose can be Berved by discussing here in .'dispute referred to by Mr.. Arbuckle," .