GRIMETHORPE MINERS CALLED TO RESUME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22425, 4 September 1947, Page 5

GRIMETHORPE MINERS CALLED TO RESUME

Colliery after colliery stop- j ped yesterday as the men come j out in sympathy with the j Gnmethovpe miners who struck over three weeks ago as a protest against the working of a -2ft. extra stint. The national executive of the National Union of Mine Workers has called upon' the Grimethorpe strikers to resume work forthwith. It stated that when work is resumed a fact-finding committee would investigate the dispute. The national union required the Grimethorpe miners' assurance mat they would accept the fact-finding committee's recommendations. . , There is a feeling that the strike is out of hand, says Reuter’s. Some miners are drawing a similarity with the great strike of 1926. \ , One estimate gives the loss of coal as a result of the present Yorkshire stoppages as high as 200,000 tons. This with the 800.000 tons which the Minister

of Fuel, Mr. E. Shimvell. announced as having been lost in Yorkshire through the summer holidays brings the total loss to the 1,000.000 tons mark or near Delegates attending the T.U.C. congress learned with dismay of the sudden extension of the Yorkshire coal stoppage which has been in the background of all the congress debates. While not admitting that the situation has got beyond control some delegates were inclined to blame underground “wreckers ' tor tne extension. The strike began when the Grimethorpe men refused to work an extra two-foot stint of coal face, but now miners are bringing up other grievances. "It is two feet of steak we want —not two more feet of work.” some said. “We have too many officials,” and "stop income tax deductions and we will work harder” were other comments. ' The full delegation of the National Union of Mine Workers has been holding private meetings during the past few days and is expected to place on record soon its strong condemnation of the unofficial strikes.