WARNING TO MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1946, Page 6

WARNING TO MINERS

DANGER OF WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT MORE COAL NEEDED SYDNEY, August 2. A warning that thousands of New South Wales workers might soon lose their jobs because of the coal shortage was given by delegates to the State Trades and Labour Council last night. They called on the coal miners to produce more coal as the only method of averting mass unemployment. The council unanimously carried a resolution that a conference should be arranged with the Miners’ Federation to discuss ways 01. maintaining stocks of coal to keep essential industries going. • • . In Canberra the Prime Minister (Mr. Chifiey) refused the miners demands for far-reaching changes in the Cool Industry BiU. . ( The president of the Miners Federation (Mr. H. Wells) confirmed that the men had not been successful and said that there was no question of a general coal strike on the result of lhe- conference. The miners’ leaders still regard the bill a.s the best solution of the coal difficulties yet to be made. The bill is new considered likely to be passed without substantial change. Strikes resulted in the loss of 6,350,000 tons of coal yesterday. _ There is no change in the position in Victoria and South Australia. In Adelaide new unemployment relief depots were opened to deal with 40,000 workers- who have lost their jobs with the closing ol unessential industries.