STATE MINE DISPUTE.

Grey River Argus, 28 June 1922, Page 3

STATE MINE DISPUTE.

STOP-WORK MEETING TO-DAY. • , A general stop-work meeting will 1-? /held by the State Miners’ Union at 10.30 this morning. This has been considered necessary, in view of the pinpricking to which the men are being subjected by the management. This has been particularly the crae at the Top Mine, Rewanui. Six men, three truckers and three minors, were suspended recently for what the Union j considers a trivial breach of the rules. They were informed they could not resume work until they interviewed the superintendent, Mr I. A. James. The men turned up as usual yesterday to commence work, and were told by the under-manager that the management were rdamant, and that they could not get their lamps without seeing Mr James. All the men employed in the pit then took the matter up, and let tl u officials know there was to be no in dividualiaing. They would not go in without the other six. Accordingly, there was no work in the pit for the day. A deputation endeavoured to obtain an audience with Mr James, but unavailingly. The Rewanui section of the Union held a meeting l.'.st evening, the result of which is not yet known, but whie’. was probably a confirmation of f.. i morning's attitude. " The whole position will be gone into this morning when the Union meets. FURTHER DETAILS. (Our Own Correspondent.) RUNANGA, June 27. The State Mine dispute was not settled amiably yesterday, as was expected. From inquiries made from the men concerned. I learn that it was agreed on Met lay evening that th«? 1 five men who had their lamps st< p] M ’ for breaking away from the 'give'n point before time, were to be allowed to start work yesterday, but when the* men presented themselves for their lamps, they were informed that they could not start until they saw the mine 'manager, Mr Davis. The rest of the men held that they should all*start together, and that all hands should wait to see the Mine Manager. When the manager arrived, about half past :;I1 tl ; «‘ moi! outside the mi nr, he at onoe gave orders to close 1 down the mine. The men were thus fl frustrated in securing peaceable settle- 1 merit. Tie whole trouble ‘wems to eniaratrH from the travelling time allowed to theflfl men. I understand it is the practice I for men in the Morgan Seam to leave fl their working places at a certain time I before knock off, to ensure their being i at the tunnel mouth nt 4 p.m. After advancing to a net her point, they are Ut? ■ fl portion of the mine, rapidly getting ■ jurious to their health. The n.-'o- wh- irUi they ai ■ a safety lamp area, and * would be out of the draught ami thu danger from gas. The in. a wish t'.<» spa to he made the first -flflflM i , ;-’f •• . eeu’d then v :.i- . • in th- saf. ' A ;1 ; which is in the naked light area, beyond the stopping poTit in which ti • y are released at 3.40 p.m. A dispute occurred in the portion of the mine last week over a trucker breaking away, ami the men aver that they are now asked to work ten mln utes longer each day on account of t-.e dispute; that is, that their travelling time is now cut down by ten minutes. The previous conditions regarding tra veiling time have been in force ov-r two years, and the men resent* the cut. They state the train they travel to work by leaves Runanga each morning at 6.50 a.m., and this necessitates them arising at 5 a.m. They do not return until 5.10 p.m. So over twelve hours a day are put in by them working, and travelling to and from work. * As the men are working in different mines, and it is impossible for the whole of them to understand the questions at issue, without a general meeting, such a meeting will be held to day at Runanga.