MINING DEADLOCK

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 127, 26 November 1923, Page 8

MINING DEADLOCK

FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS

SUGGESTIONS FROM THE GOV ERNMENT.

Fresh suggestions for the settlement of the coalmining deadlock on the West Coast have emanated from the Minister of Mines (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) and i: , m mug »nle itliater (Sir Francis Bell). The offer which to some extent is dependent for a successful issue upon the recognition of the Arbitration Court by the miners, a thing they have several times steadfastly declined to do is now being considered by the members of the affected unions. The Ministers' proposals are: * (1) Hhat the coalminers should undertake not to. oppose the application of the miners in the Court of Arbitration for an increase of 5 per cent in the wages of the lowest paid workers at the mines. (2) That all other matters in dispute, such as tracking, pillar-rates, wet places, etc., shall be reierred first to Conciliation, and finally to the Court of Arbitration, to decide any point not settled by agreement. (3) That the Conciliation proceedings take the form, first of a preliminary conference, presided over by Conciliation Commissioner, consisting of five members representing the miners and fire representing the coalowners (4) That a sitting of the ordinary Conciliation Council should deal further with the matte?, preparatory to submitting the terms agreed on to the Court for ratification, and any points undecided for its adjudication. The proposals were considered at a meeting of the West Coast Miners' Council on Saturday, and were discussed at length. In order to get the men's opinions upon the offer it was decided to refer the matter to the unions, and meetings are expected to take place tomorrow and on Wednesday.