BRITISH COAL INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 15

BRITISH COAL INDUSTRY

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS AMENDMENT OF EIGHT-HOUR DAY ACT IBrituh Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Tslegraph—Copyright. : RUGBY, October 25. (Received . October 26, at noon.) After a meeting to-day between the Cabinet Committee and the officials of the Miners’ Federation it was stated that (he final proposals of the Government in regard to the coal industry. would be given in writing to the Miners’ Federation next Wednesday. It is understood that the difficulty at th-> moment primarily concerns the wages issue. The Government is prepared to redeem its election pledges to amend the Eight-hour Day Act by the substitution of either a 7}_-hour day, with one winding time, or, if the miners prefer eight hours, a bank-to-bank day; but the Government cannot guarantee that there shall be no reduction of wages. It is not possessed of the power to do so. The most it can do, and it is seeking to do it, is to obtain an assurance from the coal owners that , they will not reduce wages. Thus far it is stated that the assurance has not been forthcoming. The owners maintain that a reduction of hours would lead to a reduction of output, and foreign markets could be retained only by reducing the basis of the rates of wages. But in any case the Government intends to proceed with legislation _ for the reduction of hours, and it is proposed that this shall become imperative in April next.