Best Hours For Miners

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1947, Page 5

Best Hours For Miners

i Roc. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON. Mar. 14. The Miners’ Union and the National Coal Board have agreed to begin the five-day week on May 5, said the president of the Miners' Union (Mr Will Lawther). The new hours agreement gave British miners the best hours of work in the world. The cost of the concession would be about £24,000.000 annually. Mr Lawther made the announcement at a miners' delegates conference. at which miners also agreed to accept displaced persons for work in the pits on the same terms as Poles.

The miners pledged that output would not be restricted under the new conditions and offered to support recruitment for the industry. Mr Lawther said the new working conditions provided that day workers would receive six days' pay for five days' work; piece workers would receive 16 per cent, of their average daily earnings for the day not worked; overtime would be paid at the rate of time and a half, instead of time and a third.

Day workers must work five consecutive shifts, except in the case of accident or if a man were doing Coal Board or trade union work. Absenteeism for any other reason including sickness, would not be excused, and the man concerned would not receive his share of the pit production bonuses. Eden Claims . . .