MINERS AND LEADERS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 103, 29 October 1945, Page 8

MINERS AND LEADERS

THREAT OF XMAS BREAK Rec. 1 p.m. SYDNEY, Oct. 29. Only 950 out of 8300 miners yesterday attended six union meetings on the northern coalfields and five on the southern fields called to discuss the Miners' Federation code of discipline^ and the Federal Government's proposed Five Year coal plan. At the meetings, leaders severely criticised the men for lack of discipline and interest in the industry and unnecessary strikes. The Minister of Supply, Senator Ashley, said that Australia was imperilled as a result of the shortage of coal, and valuable markets were being tost. The Northern miners' president, Mr. W. Crook, said it would be impossible for the industry to carry on over the miners' 10-day Christmas break. He added that thousands of men and women were out of work.because of the coal shortage. ' > ' All the meetings endorsed the Government's Five, Year Plan of coal acquisition and distribution and the decision of the Miners' Federation to enforce a code of discipline. Simultaneously, the manager of the Newcastle Steelworks of the Broken Hill Company, Mr. K. Butler, announced that a complete battery of coke ovens would be closed because of the serious depletion of the coal stocks. He said steel production would be substantially curtailed. Almost immediately several hundred employees at the works and subsidiary industries will be out of work, and if the oven remain idle many more workers \will be affected.