NOT BROKEN

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 86, 8 October 1920, Page 8

NOT BROKEN

OWNERS AND NATIONAL AGREEMENT REPLY TO MR. ARBUCKLE. | The ooal-mine owners submit that-they , have not broken the ' national agreement. Mr. Arbuckle's statement was shown to Mr. Pryor, secretary of the association, who made the following reply to a Post reporter :— "Comments in the press have recently deprecated the introduction of technical issues in connection with-industrial disputes, and, similarly, I think that in this matter all extraneous questions should be omitted from the discussion. .Efli instance, the,disputes i regarding railway rates or 'housing accommodation, have nothing, whatever to do with the present engine-drivers'- dispute at. Pukemiro, as that is a matter, entirely apart from the other* two questions. The ac-* tual position is that during the strike in connection with the railway fares the engine-drivers left their employment in spite of the definite statement "mada by Mr. Arbuclde himself at the National Conference in February last to the effect that in the case of a dispute the Miners' Union never called out the pumping men. At Pukemiro these men were evidently called out, and the company, looking upon that as a distinct breach of the agreement and a menace to the safety of the mine, demanded that before operations were again" resumed the en-frine-drivers should withdraw from the Miners' Union, so as to remove ■ them from that body's control. UNDERTAKING FROM ENGINEERS REQUIRED. "This led to negotiations, first, between the Pukemiro Union and the company, and as no agreement seemed possible in that way the matteri was referred by the company to m> association on Saturday last, although on the day,previous I had receiver a letter from . Mr. Arbuckle asking what the attitude of my executive was with regard to the matter. This led to some discussion between Mr. Arbuclde and myself, with the result that I made tli£ proposal on Saturday last suggesting tnat an undertaking should be given.in ; writing that engine-drivers, .in the event of a stoppage in the mines, would not refuse to perform any work in connection with pumping operations or ventilation of the mine. On Tuesday last I receiveda telephone communication from Mr, Arbucikle suggesting that the dispute should be referred to the National Disputes Committee, and on behalf of the association agreed that the committee should meet on Thursday, 7th mst., with the condition precedent that work should be resumed in the mines on the morning of that day before the committee' met. I immediately communicated < with the members of my executive, ascertained they could meet on Thursday and confirmed that arrangement with Mr. Arbuckle on Wednesday' morning when he. told me he had communicated witli " Pukemiro on the previous day (Tuesday). I think,' therefore, that Mr. Arbuckle's statement that he wired on Wednesday is a mistake, and that if he refers to his file, he will find he telegraphed on Tuesday, as he informed me oh Wednesday morning he had done.

"The result, therefore, is that while we both had the same time to make our arrangements, the members of my executive met in Wellington in accordance with the arrangement made, while the Pukemiro Union failed even to call their meeting until the morning of the day | that work was to be resumed. jind theDisputes Committee was to meet in Wellington. MEETING UNION'S CONTENTION. "The coal-mine owners submit dhatthey have not broken the national agreement either in spirit or in letter. The preference. clause so far as engine-drivers are xonct'i'ueil wh.s agreed to on the understanding at the national conference that these men would not leave their work during a time of disturbance in thu mine. The engine-drivers at Pukemiro did leave their work and endangered the safety' of the mine, which led to the" demand on the part of the company tli.it they should withdraw* from the union. In order, however, to meet the federation statement that to insist upon this withdrawal would mean that the enginedrivers would have no union to protect their interests, my-.p_rpppsal on Saturday.'.

provided that they might still rem-iin members of the Pukemiro Miners' Union if that union gave an undertaking in writing that in future disputes the necessary work in connection with pumping operations and the ventilation of the mine would be carried on as might be required. PROPOSAL FAIR AND REASONABLE "It is submitted that the proposal is a fair and reasonable one, and should be agreed to without hesitation. If it is agreed to there is no need for any continuation of the stoppage in the mine, as if notice is given on any day that the workers are prepared to resume operations under the conditions imposed the mine will be ready to work on the following morning."