Miners May Return To Work On Monday: Big Reverse For Militants

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23021, 11 August 1949, Page 5

Miners May Return To Work On Monday: Big Reverse For Militants

~ (N.Z.P.A.—Reuter—Copyright.) (11 a.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 11. The striking coal miners throughout Australia are expected to return to work next Monday. By a four to one majority the northern New South Wales miners rejected a recommendation by the central council of the Miners’ Federation that the strike be continued during the attempted resumption of negotiations.

Voting on the northern New South Wales fields today was 1195 in favour of the recommendation and 4S4S against. The voting figures for two daj-s in New South Wales were 2226 for the recommendation 6168 against. In Cessnock 338 voted for the recommendation and 1211 against. Ipswich, Queensland's biggest coal centre, rejected a recommendation bv 481 votes to 123. At many meetings the men demanded that work be resumed on Monday. When the recommendation was read at Muswellbrook where the miners have been watching the troops work their open-cut mines for a week, there were cries of “put a match to it.” “Better Off Than We Are” At Adamstown, the chairman apologised for the absence of the general president of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. Idris Williams, who is serving a gaol sentence for contempt of the Arbitration Court, saying: “He is the guest of His Majesty’s Government." Back came cries: “He is better off than we are.” At Belmont, the acting general president of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. R. Hamilton. declared: “We are not beaten. The longer the struggle lasts

the greater the loss to the country—and that is what we want. But we will not allow the struggle to last long enough to ruin the Miners’ Federation.” With only minor returns to come, the combined votes were 2119 in our of the recommendation and 4170 against it. The total membership on the northern fields is about 10,000 but, as on the southern and western fields, thousands did not vote. Return to Work Demanded Miners at Muswellbrook quickly disposed of the council’s recommendation by voting 160 to 6 against it and then, amid cheers, unanimously demanded a return to work on Monday. Mr. N. Dunleavy, a member of the central council, told the miners he had repeatedly striven for a settlement but had found himself in a minority. Amid wild cheering, he added: “We have nothing to offer the men except to tell them to tighten their belts. I expect something better than that.” The heaviest votes against the recommendation were at Kurri Kurri, 807 to 283. Speers Point 456 to 55 and Adamstown 489 to 113Commenting on the results of the meetings, the Minister of Supply and Development, Senator Armstrong, said: “This is a . knock-out blow for the Communist- leaders who have misled the miners. It was only a matter of the rank and file being given the opportunity to vote in a democratic way to end the strike.” “Clear Victory for Government” The Minister of the Army, Mr. C. Chambers, claimed: “The vote is _ a clear victory for the Government’s policy of arbitration.” With votes against the council’s recommendation still pouring in, the acting president of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. R. Hamilton, announced that the Combined Mining Council will be called together on Friday to consider ordering the men back to work early next week. The northern miners’ meetings contine to show hostility to the militants.

At Swansea, as soon as the meeting opened, there were cries of: “Put the motion now. We don’t want any Commos to tell us about it.” ! Mr. Hamilton was unable to make himself heard and sat down under a barrage of abuse. At Singleton and Werris Creek not one miner voted for the council recommendation.

Maitland threw the motion out by 152 to 37.

The Tasmanian miners voted against the council recommendation to continue the strike by 200 to 2.