Southland Mine Strike Over

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7104, 13 March 1933, Page 6

Southland Mine Strike Over

OWNERS WIN ON “HIRE AND EIRE” CLAUSE

Per Press Association

INVERCARGILL, Last Night

After a strike extending over six months tho coalminers at the Ohai field will resume work to-morrow morning. A meeting of tho union was held to-day to consider the report of tho recent conference in Christchurch and a secret ballot resulted in 144 voting against resumption and 113 for it. As a three-fifths majority is required to continue tho strike tho miners will resumo work. The conditions will be substantially those sot out by tho owmers prior to the strike with various concessions, including the right to contract through union representatives and slight increases in wages amounting to threo farthings per ton at Alossbank and twopence per ton in the solid at Linton and Wairaki. Tho companies have agreed to carry 20 per cent, moro hands than tho normal requirements to run the pits. In other words work will be rationed but at

Alossbank it is stated all the hands can be absorbed. Tho “hire and fire" clause which has been tho chief bone of contention will remain in tho agreement, tl.o owners having won their point. Tho agreement will expire on January 31 next.