MINING DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 139, 10 December 1919, Page 6

MINING DISPUTE

CONDITIONS FOR FURTHER

CONFERENCE

DECLINED BY MINERS' FEDERATION

The New Zealand Coal. Mine Owners' Association has expressed its willingness to hold a further conference with the Miners' Federation \;\ connection with the long-standing dispute between tho two organisations, bit only on conditions which have not been acceptable to the latter. The correspondence which has passed between Mr. W. Prior, secretary of the Mine Owners' Association, and Mr. J. Arbuckle, secretary of the Miners' Federation, was made available for publication to-day. It is important to note that the mine owners stipulated a restricted discussion, and refused to recognise tho New Zealand Alliance of Labour in any negotiations which might take place.

Under date 27th November, Mr. Pryor wrote to Mr. Arbucklo as follows :—

"Dear sSir, —On Saturday last I wrote to the Prime Minister, conveying to i him the terms upon which the Coal Mine Owners' Association would be prepared to agree to a further conference in connection with the coal-mines dispute. It is understood that the association's proposals have been communicated to you, but as up to the present no reply has been received, it is thought that perha-ps they may not have reached you. In order to remove any doubt on this point, I have to advise that the terms upon which the association is prepared to agree to a conference are as under ;— .

- _ 1. That the normal output and working conditions be resumed immediately in all mines. 2. That a conference be arranged after normal operations have been resumed and maintained in all mines for i a period of two weeks. 3. That the conference be agreed to '- under the following conditions : (a) that only representatives of the New Zealand Coal-mine Owners' AssocXtion and the New Zealand Miners' Federa-

tion be present at the conference, (b) That the conference consist of four representatives from each side, (c) That all parties agree to be bound by the decision of the conference.

Only the following matters to be discussed : (d) Clauses re Australian miners, (c) Right to apply for amendments of agreements on account of increased cost of living, (f) All mines to be bound by any agreement entered into, (g) Consideration of the demand for free tools and explosives. Otherwise than as may be agreed under clause 3 hereof, the proposals of the employers submitted to the conference on 12th August to be adopted as a full settlement of the dispute. "I will be glad to learn as early as possible if the federation is prepared to agree to a conference on the terms as set forth above.—Yours faithfully, etc."

On 2nd December Mr. Arbuckle replied to the effect that the Miners' Federation had endorsed tho reply sent to the Prime Minister by the secretary of the Alliance of Labour to the effect that no conference would be agreed to unless all questions affecting labour in the coal-mining industry were discussed. Mr. Arbuckle aded :—"I am also instructed to state that the dispute is in the hands of the Alliance of Labour, and that all communications in regard to the. matter of an agreement must be sent to the secretary of the . federation."

A week later Mr. Pryor forwarded another letter to Mr. Arbuckle in the. following terms :—

"I have to advise you that your letter of 2nd inst. was considered at a meeting of the executive of this association held on sth inst., as was also the reply of the secretary of the Alliance of Labour to the Prime Minister's suggestion for a conference on the terms proposed by this association. With regard to that reply I am instructed to say that the coal-mine owners could not possibly agree to again discuss 'all questions affecting labour in the coalmining industry.' The whole of the claims of your federation were fully and openly discussed at the August conference, and therefore no good purpose could be served by again dealing with matters upon which there is no probability of agreement, especially as the mine-owners are not prepared to materially alter the offer then made to your federation. 'After full consideration of the whole matter the following resolutions were adopted by my executive, and are now forwarded to you for your information and for the information of the several unions connected with your federation: — "1. The mine-owners see no reason to depart from their previous decision, viz.. that they cannot see their way to discuss the settlement of new agreements between the miners and themselves, with „any- other organisation than the Miners' Unions and the Miners' Federation. . "2. That the mine-owners in all cases when agreements have expired, have signified their readiness to discuss with their unions (there being a union at each mine), new agreements covering working conditions as affecting each particular mine. "3. That mine-owners would again urge that constitutional tribunals have been set up in this country to settle all disputes on labour matters, etc, viz, Conciliation Councils, and the Arbitration Courts, and that in the interests of the public and all concerned, the present dispute should be submitted to these tribunals to investigate, and to make awards. "4. That upon the cessation of the go-low policy at any mine, the mineowners are quite willing to enter into a new agreement with the union at such mine, any such agreement to include provision for the increased bonus of 10 per cent, and 15 per cent, as previously offered."