MINERS' RETURN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21602, 3 January 1945, Page 4

MINERS' RETURN

SHORTER BREAK ACCEPTANCE OF ORDER GARNISHEE STRIKES OFF (Special Australian Correspondent). (9 a.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 3. All except five collieries in New South Wales resumed production yesterday in accordance with directions from the Federal Government and the Miners' Federation executive, shortening the miners' holidays from i(i to 10 days. About 80 per cent of the miners reported for work, and the coal loss from absenteeism for the first working day of 1945 will be about 13,000 tons. No mine was idle yesterday on the garnishee issue, which was a main cause of the trouble in the coal industry' before the Christmas holidays, and threatened tho development of a general strike. Seven mines were idle over garnishees on the last working day of 1944. The strikes were authorised by the Miners' Federation as a protest against the garn teheeing of wages to collect fines imposed for absenteeism. When tho Miners’ Federation executive ordered the men to shorten their Christmas holidays from 16 to 10 days, it also ordered the cancellation of all garnishee strikes. Today’s acceptance of this decision by the miners affected has raised hopes that future decisions of the miners' leaders will be obeyed, except perhaps by a small section of irresponsiljles who will be disciplined. Proposals for Coal Inquiry Both union officials and colliery owners’ representatives have expressed gratification at the good response made by the miners to the order to shorten their holidays from January 8 to January 2, especially in view o’f the short notice given. The secretary of the Miners' Federation. Mr. G. W. Grant, said to-day that he hoped peace on the Australian coalfields would be secured as a result of the work of the promised commission of inquiry into the coal industry. The questions which he proposed to submit To the commission for examination included the guaranteeing of a minimum wage for mineworkers for three or,four years after the end of the war; the imposition of n levy of a few pence per ton on all coal produced in Australia to provide for coalfields towns’ amenities, such as better housing, modern canteens, hospitals, and recreation facilities: the establishment of secondary industries in all mining centres; the introduction of a production quota at each mine in the post-war period; and the granting of assistance to enable continuation of work at mines where high-production costs created a competitive disadvantage.