STRIKE OFF

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 283, 14 November 1929, Page 3

STRIKE OFF

THE WEST COAST TROUBLE MEN’S DEMANDS AGREED TO. MINES TO RESUME IMMEDIATELY. “ ' ft . ' Greymouth, Nov. 13. Following quickly upon the decision yesterday of the organised miners on the West Coast fields to strike in support of the Blackball union’s stand against the employment of non-union-ist engine drivers at the Blackball mine, the trouble was settled to-day. There is general satisfaction at this result, as the stoppage had involved almost 2500 men in the Buller and Grey districts. The settlement came unexpectedly early as the result of the intervention of the Blackball mine directorate. Today Mr W. W. Gibson, the new secre-tary-director of the company, arrived in Blackball and there was a hurried call for a conference between the executive of the Miners’ Union and representatives of the company —Messrs Gibson, W. Parsonage (mine manager) and Thompson. The conference proved an amicable one, the outcome being that the miners’ demand was agreed to, with the result that unionist engine drivers are now in charge of the haulage engines and the generating plant, while the non-union-ist engine drivers’ services have been disposed with. The result of the conference was notified to the West Coast Miners’ Council secretary, Mr R. McGregor, at Millerton, who immediately wired the whole of the unions as follows:—• “Cause of stoppage removed, the two non-union engine drivers being discharged. Suggest all mines resume work immediately.” The result is that work will be resumed to-morrow at all Buller mines and at the State mines. At the Blackball mine the shift, men resume to-morrow and the miners on Monday. The Dobson and Wallsend mines are also resuming work to-morrow. WESTPORT REJOICES. Westport, Nov. 13. The news that the trouble at Blackball had been settled was received with rejoicing here, as the people wore looking forward to a particularly bright Christmas. The mines are reopening to-morrow.