THE COAL STRIKE

Evening Star, Issue 21129, 15 June 1932, Page 6

THE COAL STRIKE

HISTORY OF THE DEADLOCK A DENIAL AND EXPLANATION [Special to the 'Stab.'] AUCKLAND, June 15. In the course of a lengthy history of the present deadlock in the coal-mining industry, Mr W. D. Holgate, president of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners'. Association, denies the statement made by the National Executive of the New Zealand Labour Party that there was apparently some conflict between the mine owners and Mr T. 0. Bishop, secretary to the Coal Mini Owners' Association. Mr Holgate said he was not aware of anything of the sort, and that the Coal Mining "Unions' Federation was endeavouring to convey the impression that the mine owners had refused a conference with the unions for a new agreement. In explaining the attitude taken by, the coal mine owners throughout the dispute. Mr Holgate said Mr Bishop in his reply to the Labour Party published on June 11, made it quite clear that the men had not been refused a conference, but that the contrary was the case. After reviewing the facts connected with the failure of the two conferences at Auckland with the northern miners, Mr Holgate says: 'On the West Coast a conference was asked for and agreed to, and the only thing left to be determined was the date, and it was agreed to hold the conference as early as could be conveniently Meantime the old terms and conditions of employment were to continue, but the miners, instead of waiting for ihe conference, ceased work. There is no doubt but that the strike, although commencing at Hikurangi, where Mr A. M'Lagan, secretary of the union's federation, persuaded the men to again strike the night before the conference (May 24), was brought about by the representatives of the federation unions on the question of coal mine owners claiming the unrestricted right to engage and dismiss men without reservation—a right we claim, and which is granted to every other industry in New Zealand. The unions know perfectly well there would be no difficulty in again coming to terms with the exception of this one clause they object to, and which the coal mine owners are insistent upon."