N.S.W. COAL PROBLEM

Grey River Argus, 10 November 1944, Page 3

N.S.W. COAL PROBLEM

Labour Leader’s Appeal TO THE MINERS TO INCREASE OUTPUT (Rec 8.55) Nov. 9 The Australian Council of Trades Unions and the Miners’ Federation to-day issued a pamphlet appealing to the miners to back the Government’s efforts to attain the coal production target of seven million tons by Christmas. The pamphlet stresses the necessity for maintaining the maximum production of all war requirements until victory is won. The pamphlet accuses the daily press of playing a “vicious part” in the coal fields disputes and of setting out to mislead the general public and to provide ammunition w’itn which reactionary political party leaders could continue their campaign to defeat the Labour Government.

The pamphlet charges certain papers, together with the coal owners’ spokesmen, of endeavouring to “incite the Labour Government and the public to> force what they call a ‘showdown’ through a general strike in the mining industry.” Their purpose, the pamphlet claims is the defeat of the Labour Government. In spite of this appeal to the miners to maintain production, some industrial observers believe that the miners are throwing down th e gauntlet to the Federal Government on the issue of coalfields discipline and prosecutions. The Northern Miners’ Managemtnt Board had decided to “take industrial action” if any attempt is made to collect fines from the employees oi one northern colliery who are to appear at Court in Newcastle on charges of abseenteeism. The Board rehas affirmed “its right to discipline its own members.” The Board declares that “under a system of wholesale prosecutions innocent men were victimised.” The Miners’ Federation officials have stated that they will support, the Northern Miners’ Management Board. The area concerned has seen the great majority of the mining disputes. Five of the mines in the district were idle to-day because of unsettled strikes. ' All of the mines in Southern and Western districts of New South Wales are working. Up to the end of last month, the coal output in the Western and New South Wales mines was nearly one hundred and fifty thousand tons ahead of that for the corresponding period of last year, in spite of th e loss of production in the area during the Portland “butcher girl” strikes. Coal miners are to receive ten working days’ vacation over Christmas and New Year. Ministers are hopeful thatj. between now and then, the coal output will show an upward trend.