ORDERED NOT TO WORK

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1944, Page 4

ORDERED NOT TO WORK

Miners Confused CONTRAST OF ANZAC AND MAY DAYS. P.A. WELLINGTON, May 3. Mr. A. Prendeville. President of tne United Mine Workers of New pealand, said to-day that much had been given to a refusal by miners to work on May Day, p is a holiday under the miners ment; but the fact that a very large body of the miners did work on• ‘ ? Day had received much less Earlier press messages of half-truths, and a Press Association message from Westport, under y terday’s date, contained the syaie ment: “The miners’ reason for not working on May Day is t y were not allowed to take Anzac Day as a holiday, as they wisherTh A was exactly contrary Io the truth Actually, the miners volunteeied to work on Anzac Day. Had their offerbeen accepted there was no doubt that all of them, instead of only half, would also have worked on May Day. The direction to work on Ma v Day did not, in many cases, reach the Miners’ Union branches until April 24, and, in view of there having been a last-minute direction that Anzac Day must be observed as a holiday, and an equally curt direction that work on

1 May Dav was compulsory, they decided if the one day was to be a compulsory “no work day”, then the other would be the same. Had an earlier approach been made to miners’ organisations, misunderstandings could have been avoided, and work could have been secured on both days. He believed that many people would agree that in the present emergency, the production of coal on Anzac Day was “the proper method of recognising the day’s significance." OHAI MINERS PROTEST. LATE DEPARTURE OF WORKMEN’S TRAIN. P.A. INVERCARGILL, May 3. The mines in the Ohai district were idle to-dav with the exception of Linton and Mossbank. The latter two worked with greatly depleted staffs. The stoppage occurred as a protest by miners residing at Nightcaps against the late departure of the workmen’s tra’n from Ohai after work. This train is. run by the Ohai Railway Board on the five mile stretch between Ohai and Nightcaps. About 350 men are affected. Last night the train was half an hour late in leaving Ohai. On the previous night it was ten m'nutes late. MILLERTON 'MINERS RESUME. P.A. WESTPORT, May 3. The Millerton miners resumed today after a one-day strike.