Miners’ Stand In Beer Boycott: One Man Leaves

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1947, Page 7

Miners’ Stand In Beer Boycott: One Man Leaves

Mine workers employed at the Dobson State colliery will not work with any member of the union who in future patronises a,, hotel charging 7d for beer, in direct opposition to the boycott being observed by trade unionists. This is believed to be the decision of a meeting of Dobson miners yesterday. If it becomes-neces-sary to put this decision into effect on a general .scale, the mine will be idled with a loss of production of about 250 tons of coal 4aily. Several proposals aimed at creating unanimous. support for the union’s hotel boycott, it is understood, were advanced ’at yesterday’s meeting, including the schemes for the men to decline to work with fellow-miners breaking the union’s boycott decision and one for such workers to be denied bath-house facilities. The latter proposal, it is stated, received the support of about 18 miners, while nine voted against the imposition of any penalty. . The remaining members of the union, which has a membership of about 140, supported the scheme to refuse to work with men failing to observe the boycott. One man who, it is alleged, has reneatedly ignored the union direction and whose actions were the subject

of critical discussion by members of the union at the meeting, .told the meeting of his views, and indicated that he was not prepared to change them With that he returned home, declaring that he did not intend to continue to work at the mine. This new attitude adopted by the union, being official, has even wider implications than the unofficial action taken by a few bushmen at Kumara last week, and,-if othci unions follow suit, may lead to widespread industrial disruption, for it is widely known that few unions possess a following 100 per cent, behind the boycott. '

“I have been employed at the Dobson mine for about 10 years and I can say I have been a good unionist, but this beer dispute is too silly,” said the miner, whose determination to drink where he pleased led yesterday to his break with the union, in a telephone conversation with the Evening Star today. He saidtthat after leading work yesterday he had been again asked by. the union to return to work and give an undertaking that he would ' observe the boycott, but fie had refused to accept work under those conditions.

“I am out of a job now, and I suppose no other miners’ union will have me, but I am determined to maintain my attitude,” he added.