STOCKTON DISPUTE

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1925, Page 6

STOCKTON DISPUTE

THE RE.OCCURRENCE. Since the advent of the now. manager at Stockton considerable friction has arisen This recently led to a stoppage on the mi’fiimum wage question and the question of wages and seniority of employment at the electric loco station. After the West Coast. Miners’ Council Representatives and Coal Owners ’ Representatives had l 'f!rved upc.j terms of settlement which

were subsequently ratified by the Union, work was resumed However, the conditions of that settlement have again been broken by the manager, who now makes the absurd allegation <.f “job-control” at the sub.statioa, with the result that lie refuses to apply the seniority rule, although this has always been th e custom at the sub.station; and he refuses to reinstate one of the hands whom he originally removed on the plea of an insufficiency of work, •now that lie had re_organised his stall. Since this time several “doublers’* 'have been worked by the sub-station hands The Stockton Union maintains that the Manager by his actions, lias repudiated the findings of the Disputes Committee a»nd insists on the re-em-ployment of Messrs Archer and Evans. The Union is not objecting to the num. ber of Lands he employs but hold that whoever is employed, the seniority rule apply. The Stockton Union’s attitude must appeal to a»ay reasonably-minded individual as the onlv possible solution and in its stand it will undoubtedly be supported by all industrialists. The matter has again been referred to the West ('oast Miners’ Council, and a further effort will be made to effect a settlement A big principle is undoubtedly involved in the Stockton dispute.