STRIKE AT THREE N.S.W. MINES OVER ENGINE DRIVER’S SUSPENSION

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1949, Page 5

STRIKE AT THREE N.S.W. MINES OVER ENGINE DRIVER’S SUSPENSION

SYDNEY, Feb. 17 The Coal Industry Tribunal, Mr F. H. Gallagher, has intervened in a dispute which threatened to close the entire Broken Hill Proprietary steelworks at Newcastle by the week-end. Three coal mines are idle because of a dispute over one locomotive driver and the company has not sufficient coal to keep the steel works going. Any hitch at this stage will seriously cripple the building programmes in Australia and New Zealand and will directly affect the employment of 210.000 . people, including* 55,000 working in New South Wales industries. Because of the steel crisis the Joint Coal Board is expected to meet to-day to consider the rationing of luul to ad consumers. The central figure in the dispute is a man aged 24, who holds a conditional locomotive driving licence, which will be reviewed within . six months by the Minister of Mines. The men are demanding the removal of the conditions. Last year this man was involved in three accidents, in one of which a man was killed. In each case experts agreed after the accident that thn equipment was in perfect order. After the third accident the man was stood down and the management suggested that he be employed as a shunter while retaining his _ locomotive driver's pay and seniority. This was rejected by the Miners’ Federation.

Earlier it was stated steps were being taken to close down the Broken Hill Proprietary iron and steel works at Newcastle, according to the manager (Mr K. Butler - ). He said that the action was imperative because of thp strike at three Broken Hill Proprietary coal mines which was depriving the steel industry of 6000 tons of coal a day. Because of low coal stocks immediately before Christmas the company hod to reduce- its operations to 40 per cent., of capacity throughout the miners’ holidays, whiem lasted .24 days Since the ‘miners’ resumption on January 17 the company’s three mines have lost over 24,000 tons of coal. . , Strike Expected to End (Rec 8.401 SYDNEY. February 17 The strike at. the three Broken Hill proprietary collieries over an engine driver is expected to end immediately. The intervention of Mr Gallaher evidently having been effective.