STRIKE SETTLED

Northern Advocate, 14 November 1929, Page 5

STRIKE SETTLED

AMICABLE CONFERENCE

UNION’S DEMAND MET

MINES REOPEN TODAY

(Per Press Association.—Copyright.) GREYMOTTTH, This Day. 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 yesterday. There is general satisfaction at this result, as the stoppage had involved almost 2YOO men in the Buller and Grey districts. The settlement came unexpectedly early, rjs the result of the intervention of the Blackball mine directorate. Yesterday Mr W. W. Gibson, the new secretary-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 generating plant, while the nonunionist engine-drivers’ services have been dispensed with. The result is that work will be resumed today at all the Duller mines, State mines and the Dobson and Walls-

end mines. At the Blackball mine, fho ski ft men resume today .and the miners on Monday,

A message from Westport states, the news that the trouble at Blackball has been settled was received with rejoicing. All mines are re-opening today.