STRIKE SETTLED

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1926, Page 5

STRIKE SETTLED

CONCILIATORY COUNSELS

; WISE DECISION. DEFINITE AGREEMENT.* The dispute which arose in 'connection with the discharge of two 'truckers, from the Hikurangi Coal Company's mine, which led to the men striking on Monday evening, came to a definite conclusion last night, after a conference between Mr Reeve, representing tho Labour Department, Messrs R. Dickson, general manager of the Hikurangi Coal Co., Mackinson (manager of the compaliy), C. Latham (secretary of the Hikurangi Miners’ Union), W. Davidson (.president of the Miners’ Union), T. Dunn, A. Woods, D. Duffy, E. Coulson and A. Laird (Miners’ Union representative). The conference started at 10 a.m. •on Wednesday and concluded at 3.20 rp.m. After very mature deliberation it was decided that the proceedings be not open to £he Press, but the information was forthcoming that the resolu-

■tions arrived at would be submitted to a meeting of the Miners’ Union to be held at 6 o’clock the same evening. A pressman on the spot observed the somewhat unusual procedure betokening the importance of the situation —a motor car being requisitioned to round up the members, while .the ringing of a big call-bell summoned all interested to the scene of deliberations. The assembly in George Street of over 100 membersLOf the Miners’ Union who had not required the bell-ringing summons, provided further significance of the grave nature of the occasion. Meanwhile the executive held "further deliberation concerning the attitude of the Union towards the points in dispute. The recommendations of the conference were apparently fully discussed, and the two dismissed truckers were interrogated. Owing to these preliminary proceedings it was 6.20 p.m. before the mass meeting of the- miners was held. At the opening a representative of the Press asked if the proceedings would be open for publication. A vote on this question met with a somewhat mixed reception. An affirmative vote was given, however, by a fair majority. The attendance was in the vicinity of 120. The chairman (Mr W. Davidson)- reported that at the afternoon conference the following resolution had been arrived at, subject to the Union’sj approbation:— .“That Buchanan and Rowe be reinstated in the mine 'as from Monday next, one to on top, the other below i ground.” !

On being put to the meeting this was endorsed by 110 votes to four. - The discussion was very heated, and acrimonious at times. ■Mr A. Wood said he agreed to a certain extent with the Labour Depart? ment and the management. He was pleased to know that Mr Maekinson had a ertain amount of backbone; as a matter of fact, the management was not responsible for the trouble in the shaft. It was quite true that the decision might have been rushed, but the Union had to take a certain proportion of the blame. There were too many stoppages, and these could be averted. In this case, the matter might have been adjusted. There certainly was a misunderstanding. An individual outside the executive had interfered, ond that had led to the present trouble, bnt Jic was of opinion that it was a misapprehension. The truckers concerned- had Ibeen accused of a misdemeanour, but it did not belong to them. They had been practically forced into making a statement which proved them not guilty. The facts proved that that morning the delegates from the Union had a hard row to hoe* but notwithstanding this the Union was lucky to s have reached a settlement. There was a common practice of individuals —nonexecutive members—bringing, or trying j to bring, grievances before the employers and the Union. That had to stop. These present pin-pricking tactics must be- discontinued, consistent with the present agreement, because it would be detrimental to the miners’i own interests. The t speaker asked for fair consideration. In view of the fact of the immediate future this was necessaty.

Mr Cummons; "Are the two boys satisfied with the decision!” The Chairman: “If the meeting carries it they must' be satisfied. They have no other choice. The ease was before the executive, and the Union decides for all. Mr Len Millen interjected: “But Dickson (referring to the manager) can drive a boy to hell, notwithstanding the service he has put in.” Mr T. Dunn agreed with Mr Woods. A drastic step had been taken. Buchanan and Rowe had made statements to the management that they would be better apart. He though. it proper that a clear-cut understanding should exist* between the management and the men., If the position obtained that a non-executive member should have ihe right at the pithead to influence members of the Union without reference to the executive member's, it were, fotter that it should be cut out. “If yorf don’t .stand to it you will have a' more hitter fight in a few months’ time” he .added. A Voice: “If the boys go below they’ll get ft »»ot time; they would be •bettor on top. it would be better if they went below, nh.d then, if they get

a hot time, we’ll see “to it, ’ ’ Mr Kennedy, referring to the apology allegedly demanded by the executive ■from tho mine manager (Mr Dickson) asked what had become of it. He, for one, wanted to know. Mr A. Laird, who was the member of the delegation allegedly insulted, said that at the conference that' afternoon he had met Mr Dickson, and the matter had been thoroughly thrashed out. The latter had explained that he bore no malice; and tho whole trouble had arisen in the heat of the argument. As one of the delegates around tho board, and the person most concerned, he was satisfied. (Applause). Mr Kennedy: “Did he apologise?” Mr Laird: “He gave mo a satisfactory statement, and that will do me. ’ ’ At this stage the meeting got somewhat uproarious, tho chairman calling for order, stating: “The man insulted is satisfied.” A Voice; “Was the executive satisfied?” , The Chairman: “Yes.” , 'Mr Tange: “A meeting was held at the shaft, and it was decided that the insult should be apologised for. We deny the right of the Union executive to decide before we accept it.”

Mr Dunn: “You have heard the explanation of tho man insulted, and your representative today agreed to it. Why stultify ' your own executive? If we are going against you wdiy obscure the two issues? The main point of These is that in two months’ 'time we will ’be up against it, and it is up to us to accept tho decision of the conference. The simple position is that they start on Monday morning—one on top and one below—and that is what the executive has agreed to.” Mr J. Swinbanks, in support of the motion, said he considered the Union had got out of it luckily. Had it gone any further, they would have had the Mincewrlevs’ Association of New Zealand to fight against. Tho decision of the executive was arrived at by nine votes to two. He endorsed the remarks pre- | viously made about men going out of their way for the purpose of creating trouble whilst the executive members; were still standing at the pithead and ! down the shaft. The strike had been on for only two days, but it was only an attempt to start a “scab” organisation. Buchanan and Rowe seemed to think that they were better apart, but if they were put together now they would soon go down. His opinion was that the day was not far distant -when they would have to fight the mine owners.

Mr J. Wilson, as a member of the conference, said that as one of the two w T ho registered negative votes he had fought hard, because he believed that Buchanan and Rowe were right, and that the management were trying to “put one across them.” He was still of opinion that the two men should go down in the mine together.

The Chairman: “As the other man in the conference who voted against it, it hurts me.”

Mr Dan Jackson said they should be, willing to go back to' work, and accept the decision of the majority. The motion was then put and carried, with only four dissentients.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. UNION DISCUSSION. Arising out of. the previous discusI sion, the chairman then moved, and the secretary seconded: “That any person not in an executive position must not interfere with Union business unless authorised to do so. ” It was stated by the chairman that interference by a member of the Union, without reference- to members of the executive, although he had five of them in the shafts, had occasioned the present trouble. The dismissal had been taken on Kennedy’s advice. He (the speaker) had gone over and seen Mr. Maekinson, who had .verified the report that Kennedy had primarily put .the boys into trouble. Kennedy’s influence, it appeared to • the speaker, was an established fact, according to the manager’s report. Mr. R. C. Cherrie: “I voice a point of. order. Is this meeting called to discuss one particular question or for a general discussion on Union matters?”

Mr. Kennedy: “These men approached me on Monday, and said they had been sacked. I took it up with the manager.” Mr. Dunn said that if Kennedy had interfered to the extent asserted it was high time they cleaned up their own house. There was no doubt about it, that a meeting had been held at the shaft mouth, and as it culminated in the present trouble he contended that a certain amount of Restriction was necessary in order that matters in dispute should be taken through the proper channel, and that was the Union. The resolution was then carried with only two dissentients.