NEW SOUTH WALES GOAL DISPUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 18337, 26 July 1923, Page 6

NEW SOUTH WALES GOAL DISPUTE.

After protracted negotiations tho coal owners in Now South Wales and tho Minors’ Federation lost week reached an agreement. In duo course it was submitted to the individual unions for ratification. The result was disappointing, for,, though it was clear that a majority of the men approved of a settlement, some unions are holding back, and at West Maitland ten adverse vote was can ieel by 138 votes to 127. ITobably this is due to Communist activity. Tho Reds on tho Maitland fields aro fow in number, but they are persistent and active, and it is asserted that most of the trouble in this area- may be traced to their propaganda. The dispute is one of long standing. In Juno of last year tho owners, claiming that the cost of production was killing tho export trade, applied to the Coal Tribunal for a reduction in wages of per cent, and for two working shifts and work on pay Saturday. These claims tiro men resisted, and constant stoppages of work and irritation strikes continued. The efforts of tho Coal Tribunal to adjust matters were unsuccessful, and at tho beginning of April of this year it was staled that twelve of the loading pits in the Maitland and Newcastle districts wore idle and that 5,000 men wore out cf work. Jt was alleged by the management that (his result was chiefly duo to trivial complaints on the part of the miners. Towards tho end of that month a conference between the employers and tho men was held, at which the owners announced that the chic? cond’ticn which the miners must, guarantee and observe prior t ) the re. sumption of work, was tho stoppage of strikes It was also laid down that the managers should have 'ho right to sided the men required and to dismiss men without being questioned. Tho Miners’ Council announced that it was willing to give the guarantee, but refused the oilier condition;, on the ground that they would lead to tho victimisation of militant unionists. Further conferences ended in failure. 'Tho men th-cm claimed that they wore locked out, but the owners repudiated this contention, and stated that the pits wore open to tho men as soon as they chose to shirt. They added that it was their intention to eliminate tho Rod clommt, which was responsible for tho fro quent strikes of the past few years. There was a possibility at this point that a general strike of miners would bo proclaimed, This was advocated by the extreme section; but at a meeting in May it was decided to confine the dispute to the- Maitland fields, and in anticipation cf a prolonged struggle it was a creed tint a levy of 15 per °ont. should he made on the wages of all members of tho federation, winch is a heavy tax on the weekly income. It is not surprising that the men have gut tired of tho costly and futile struggle. Trade and industry have been disorgan ised, and the mine owners and the public, directly and indirectly, have suffered much loss and inconvenience, but it is the men ihcmselves and their families who suffer most. On May 3 it was estimated that the miners in Uie northern pits had lost £250,0C0 in wages, and, of course, many other workers wore rendered idle through lack of the coal necessary to keep certain industries going, A coal shcitago in a conirmmiiy is a very serious 'hing, and its reactions aro many and varied. For instance, Now Zealand has been affected by tho long stoppagj at the Maitland pits, and the co: mine in Christchurch may bo traced directly tr that cause. The whole business is doplor able. Much has been lost, and ihe only gain that can )>j imagined is that tho Maitland men may have learnt that tho iiritation strike is an ineffective industrial weapon. Tho latest messages indicate that a hitch has occurred over a point connected with tho internal working of tho Polaw jLain colliery, but tho inference is that if this can bo adjusted work will bo resumed in all tho mines which have Ibccn idle. Apparently the majority vote of tiro miners has decided the acceptance or rejection of this agreement.