REDUCED OUTPUT OF COAL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 15

REDUCED OUTPUT OF COAL

Otago And Southland

Mines

UNION DICTATORSHIP BLAMED

Dominion Special Service

DUNEDIN, June 30.

The opinion that the union’s dictatorship was largely responsible for the reduced output from Otago and Southland coal mines was expressed by a Dunedin coal merchant this afternoon. The limitation of miners’ fortnightly output that was introduced by the union and its dictatorial attitude about the number of men a mine could employ and whom it should select had, he said, a marked effect on the output from southern mines. The high wages paid to piecework miners provided an explanation of the substantially increased prices charged for coal in Dunedin. “In Southland miners ou piecework are restricted to a certain output a fortnight,” he said, “and this is one of the reasons why coal is in short supply. The union brought this restricted output into existence for the purpose of compelling mines to employ more men, but great difficulty has been experienced in finding capable miners, and, anyway, men cannot be put on for a day or two a fortnight to take the place of miners who have completed their fortnight’s limit. Each miner has his set working place in the mine, and it is impossible to find work for more men. as the number of places is governed by the stage of development of the mine. “The restricted output is full of evils for the mine owner,” he continued. “It means that a man either works full time for the early part of the fortnight and stops as soon as he reaches his limit, or else he wastes a lot of time each day to make his work spin out for the full 10 days. Both these courses tend to keep down the output of coal, and, if there were no restrictions, mine owners would have no trouble in meeting their orders.” It was stated that very short hours were at present worked in mines. Some of the men were on piecework and some on day wages, and they were supposed to be on ah eight-hour day bank to bank. They entered the pit at 8 a.m. and left it at 4 p.m. It took them half an hour to get to their work, and a similar time to return to the pitmouth, and they also had half an hour for lunch, so that working time was only six hours and a half. “If Dunedin housewives want to know why they are paying high prices for coal, they have only to look at the wages these piecework miners earn,” the merchant continued. “The rate for pieceworkers has steadily increased in the last four years, and it is now possible for men in Otago and Southland mines to earn between £2 and £3 a day. In fact in one Otago mine recently four men drew £lOO among them for 10 days’ work, averaging £2/10/each a day for 10 days. “As well as being highly paid, all miners get 10 days’ annual holiday at Christmas on full shift wages. This explains why coal is so dear today.” Referring to the manner in .which the union dictated as to employment of men, the merchant said that it decided what men should be employed in mines and the order in which they were to be taken on. Not long ago a Southland mine closed down because of a flood, and two of the miners were given a job in another mine. When the union heard of this, it refused to allow the men to work. The placement officer in Dunedin sent down an experienced man to an Otago mine, which was only too willing to employ him, but again the union stepped in and forbade it.

This sort of interference was another contributing factor toward reducing the output of cbal. “There is no danger of a serious shortage; of coal in Dunedin this winter,” the merchant stated. “Bright coal mines are behind with their orders, but merchants are able to keep consumers supplied. Stocks of all coal are short, but firms are able to carry on from clay to day."