MINERS’ CONFERENCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 133, 7 May 1932, Page 10

MINERS’ CONFERENCE.

HIKURANGI DISPUTE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 6. A conference between the Waikato Coal Mine Owners’ Association and the Northern Coal Miners’ Union was opened in Auckland to-day with a view to arriving at an agreement covering wages and conditions under which the men will in future be engaged. When the conference assembled it was announced that the miners at Hikurangi had that morning struck work as a protest against notices of dismissal being served on 55 of their number. The owners’ representatives immediately raised an objection and intimated that they would not discuss any of the points at issue until the strike was called off. The president and secretary of the Hikurangi Union, who were delegates

to the conference, agreed to intercede and a telegram was despatched to Hikurangi advising tire men to return to work as the conference would otherwise he jeopardised. It was pointed out that whilo tho Hikurangi miners had struck work because 55 of tlieir number were to ho retrenched, the Waikato miners had not taken similar action when several hundreds, of their number had been dismissed. As no reply was received from Hikurangi during the remainder of. the day, the business of the conference was confined to receiving statements. on various aspects of tho position as affected by the proposed new agreement. Tho conference will resume to-mor-row.