COAL MINERS

Evening Star, Issue 17850, 22 December 1921, Page 9

COAL MINERS

ARBITRATION COURT AWARD. [Per United Press Association.] . AUCKLAND, December 23. In the Auckland coal miners’ dispute the Arbitration Court, in a memorandum, states that in preparing the award it had endeavored, to adhere to the spirit of the general conditions of the national agreement of 1920. In go far as they applied to the northern industrial district the rates of pay had been fixed, ae nearly as possible on the basis of the 1914 rates, plus 50 per cent, to piece workers and 60 per cent, to time workers. This was the intention of the national agreement. The increases provided for in the national agreement appeared to have been, based on the food prices current in January, 1920, when the increase over the prices in July, 1914 ; was 57.76 per cent. Provision is made in the award for referring disputes which cannot be'settled by tho union executive and management of tho mine to tho District Disputes Committee, and work will be continued in all respects pending the decision of the committee. Tho adoption of a go-slow policy or the holding of stop-work meetings without permission of the manager at any mine will be regarded as a breach of the award. All participants in such a breach will be liable to dismissal, in addition to any other penalties to which they may be liable.