DOBSON MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1931, Page 5

DOBSON MINERS

REJECT COMPANY’S TERMS NEGOTIATIONS FAIL As the outcome of a conference held at Christchurch on Monday, between representatives of the Grey Valley Collieries, Ltd., and the Grey Valley Miners’ Union, certain proposals were submitted to the union for confirmation. The company offered to employ 100 men, in addition to the number at first stated, 80. This meant that, instead of 200 men being put off, the number would be reduced to 100. Sharing the work among all the union members was to be cut right out, and the choosing of the men to be given employment was to be left in the hands of the manager, with preference to married men, the remainder, if required, to be selected on the “last come, first to go” principle; neither clause to be of a hard-and-fast nature, discretion being given to the manager. The company stipulated that trucking was to be done on the co-operative contract basis.

Another proposal was that the manager should have the right to dismiss any inefficient workman, without question; the union officials to exercise what power they had with the workmen, to keep up the standard of efficiency.

A meeting of the union was held today, to discuss the company’s posalsMr W- Purdy, secretary of the union, was comunicated with by telephone this afternoon, but declined to make any statement regarding the proceedings at the meeting. In reply to a “Star” reporter, Mr C. Hunter, mine manager, said that the men had turned down the proposals of the company. “It would appear from Mr Purdy’s message to me,” said Mr Hunter, “that the men still stand fcr the sharing of the work. The company will not entertain any such idea —that is turned down definitely, for all time.” WALLSEND MINE. There will be no work at the Wallsend mine for the remainder of this week, owing to the scarcity of orders.