STRIKES IN N.S.W RESULT IN HUGE LOSSES OR COAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1949, Page 5

STRIKES IN N.S.W RESULT IN HUGE LOSSES OR COAL

SYDNEY, This Day (Rec. 10.45 a.m.)—lt is estimated by a fact-find-ing organisation subscribed to by. employers’ organisations that between January,, 1942, and June, 1949, strikes and absenteeism in New South Wales coal mines, cause production losses amounting to 20,803,000 tons of coal, or nearly two years output. The total loss during the period represents 98.2 per cent of the combined black coal production in other States since 1942. Exports of New South Wales coal to other States have decreased from an average of 55,250 tons weekly in 1942 to 43,750 tons weekly in the first six months of this year. It. is claimed that this decrease of 20.8 per cent in seven years has accelerated the desire of other States to become independent of New South Wales in the matter of coal supplies. In the 12 weeks between April and June of this year, New South Wales underground production was 2,452,800 tons —a decrease of 2800 tons compared with the corresponding period in 1948, illustrating that even without the disastrous coal strike which followed, production was falling.