DOBSON MINE IDLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 November 1931, Page 2

DOBSON MINE IDLE

COMPANY’S OFFER REJECTED, Prospects of < work being resumed at the Grey Valley Collieries Ltd mine at Dobson looked particularly bright last week after the Grey Va Iley Workers’ Union at a meeting had decided. to accept the terms of the Company. The position underwent a change yesterday, however, when at a further meeting of the Union the rates offered by the Company for contract truckers were put forward, and were rejected* Concerning the contract trucking principle set out by the Company i was agreeable to the Union, but the rate of pay was objected to, on the grounds that the prices offered “were totally inadequate to provide a living wage.” Questioned in regard to that matter to-day, the Manager of the Company stated that the truckers had been offered what was considered a fair rate of pay, and there was nothing to prevent them from making more than wages at trucking. The miners were offered work on the basis' of the previous agreement, but with the truckers there would not be any minimum wage.

The position now is that the mine will continue to be idle pending the acceptance of the Company’s proposals by the Union. Further negotiations have been suggested by the Union and Mr F. G. Davies of the Labour Department, but the manager of the Company stated definitely that he is not disposed to enter into any further discussion.