MEN ON STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 12

MEN ON STRIKE

Five Coal Mines in Huntly District OWNERS’ DECISION Will Not Meet Men Till Work Resumed By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March 23. Coalmine owners decided at a meeting at Auckland to-day, after considering the circumstances which surrounded the stoppage of work at five mines in the Huntly district that they will not meet representatives of the Northern Miners’ Union until the men observe the agreement between the parties and resume work. A statement to this effect was given by Mr. T. O. Bi'liop, secretary to the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association, at the close of the meeting, which was representative of all coal-mining companies in the ■Waikato.

In his statement Mr. Bishop said the history of the situation was as follows: Places in the mine to be worked on piece rates were balloted for by the miners at the beginning of each threemonthly period, the system being known as the “cavil” one. At the Renown mine the usual "cavil” was held on February 4, when four men drew double shift. Work began on February 6, but of the four men only two went to work throughout the first 14 days and they worked the place as a single-shift place on day shift. “It is provided in the Waikato district agreement that double-shift shall mean the succession of one pair of men by another in the same working face. Mr. Bishop said, “and that 2d. a ton in addition to the ordinary hewing rale shall be. paid to men employed m double-shift places. At the end of the first fortnight one pair of men claimed 2d. a ton as well as the ordinary hewing rate because, they said, they were working a double-shift place. It is true the place was drawn by four meu ■with the intention that twi shifts should work, but in actual fact it was worked by single ordinary day shift, and the claim was therefore not justified.” Mr. Bishop said he was consulted by the mine manager, to whom he expressed the opinion that the claim should not be met. He heard nothing more until last Monday, when he was told by the manager that the men had gone on strike. He reported the matter to the secretary of the miners’ national organisation, who disagreed with Mr. Bishop’s interpretation, and to the Minister of Mines, Hon. P. C. Webb, who agreed with the national secretary that the men should return to work until the claim had been further discussed. It was arranged that Mr. Bishop should meet the men at Huntly this morning, but on Tuesday afternoon he received a telegram from the Waikato Miners’ Union which stated: “Waikato mines remain idle until agreement is reached regarding 2d. a ton.”

In conclusion, Mr. Bishop said there was a clause in the agreement which provided machinery for the settlement of disputes, and one of the provision' was that, pending settlement, work should continue in all resjiects.