DAYS OF IDLENESS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21633, 9 February 1945, Page 4

DAYS OF IDLENESS

WAIKATO COALFIELDS MASS MEETING TO-DAY IP-A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 8. a mass meeting of all miners in the Waikato coalfields to discuss the dispute which has kept the Macdonald anci Glen Alton mines idle this week was to be held in Huntly to-day. This will mean that there will be no production from any of the mines in the district to-day. , The Macdonald mine was idle again yesterdav for the fifth consecutive day and it was the third successive day o.i which the Glen Afton mine did not work. None Of the men reported for duty. Apart from the decision to hold the mass meeting to-day, the only development in connection with the dispute was the decision of the Pukemiro miners to stop work. They returned to their homes after a meeting whicn finished at 10 a.m. Meetings were held at Rotowaro, Allison and Renown mines, after which the men went to work at those three mines. At the Pukemiro meeting they were addressed by executive members of the Northern Miners’ Union and a vote was taken on the question of holding a mass meeting to consider the Macdonald dispute. It Was' the result of this vote that the meeting was decided upon.

Although no statement has .been made by either the union or the : management, it is fairly common, knowledge in Huntly that the reason for the stoppage is the contention of a section of the Macdonald miners that there is one area in which they say work is unsafe. It is also stated that this view is held by only a minority of the men concerned and that a large section of the MacDonald men feel the area is quite fit to work in. It is estimated that the loss of coal production during the live days the Macdonald mine has been idle has been about 3500 tons and during the three days of the Glen Afton stoppage about 900 tons. The average daily output from the Pukemiro mine is about 600 tons.