COAL DEPUTE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 175, 9 July 1932, Page 8

COAL DEPUTE

FINAL PROPOSALS ACCEPTED BY BOTH SIDES CONFERENCE SUCCEEDS WORK TO START ON TUESDAY Wellington, July 8. Agreement was reached this evening in the northern coal mines dispute following upon a conference in Wellington between the parties concerned. It was announced that the proposals submitted at the conclusion of the Auckland conference, which were rejected by the men, were reconsidered and that some substantial amendments were made. The union delegates will now take these recommendations back to their members and, subject to their satisfaction, work will be resumed m the mines on Tuesday. “I was very pleased with the result of today’s conference,” said the Minister of Labour (the Hon. A. Hamilton) when interviewed last evening. ‘‘When negotiations broke down at the conference held recently in Auckland I viewed the position seriously, and after consulting with the Government I decided that as the consequences might be far-reaching it was advisable to invite both parties to meet me in conference in Wellington to make a final eflort to reach a settlement. The Government was naturally grateful to both sides for accepting the invitation and responding to it »• readily. ’ ’ Proposals and counter-proposals were made by each side on several occasions during the day. The Minister said that finality was reached at 6 o’clock, when it was announced that both sides were agreeable to accept the final proposals, the miners undertaking to endeavour to persuade their members to accept the agreement I and the mine owners to remove certain difficulties in the way, work to be re sumed on Tuesday. GOVERNMENT ACTION APPRECIATED. The Minister added that, before leaving, the delegates from both sides expressed appreciation of the Government’s action in calling the conference and of the spirit in which each side met the other. The Minister said he trusted that, as a result of the conference, better understanding would prevail and that nothing would happen to prevent the continuous harmonious working of the mines in the northern district. He hoped also that the agreement arrived at would materially assist in obtaining satisfactory agreements in other mining areas in New Zealand. It is agreed that the conference was one of the most unique of its kind ever held.in New Zealand. Probably never before has such a conference reached an agreement in so short a time when such important proposals were at stake. Neither side desires to give details of the agreement until the unions have considered them.

The delegates left for their homes this evening.