COAL MINE IDLE
DISPARITY IN WAGES
P.A. WHANGAREI, This Day. Unable to secure redress for alleged grievances after three weeks' negotiations, deputies, underviewers, skilled tradesmen, and surface workers at the Kamq coal mine did not start work this morning. As a result of the absence of key men, all work at the mine ceased.
Discontent among the key men was caused by the new rates of pay made by direction of the Mines Council from the War Expenses Account. When extra payments, made retrospective to May 1, were disbursed three weeks ago the rate of wages for mine officials and skilled tradesmen, including contract truckers and miners, was brought below those of unskilled tradesmen. For instance, underviewers with years of experience in mines and possessing Government certificates, received £10 9s 7d -weekly with no limit on hours, while under the new rates unskilled workers, who may have been in the mine only a few days, receive 39s for a shift of eight hours bank to bank. The minimum rate for miners is £1 6s 7d, while the average earnings for truckers is 39s a shift. The. head engineer at collieries receives £10 weekly and engineers 29s daily, or 10s a day | leas than unskilled workers.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19441127.2.64
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 128, 27 November 1944, Page 6
Word Count
205COAL MINE IDLE Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 128, 27 November 1944, Page 6
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