Mining Council to Call Meetings On Northern Coalfields

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1949, Page 5

Mining Council to Call Meetings On Northern Coalfields

SYDNEY, Tup. (1 p.m.).—The Combined Mining Unions’ Council has decided that area committees should call meetings of strikers on the northern fields commencing tomorrow. Miners’ spokesmen say that the purpose of the meetings will be an answer to the Labour Party’s propaganda campaign. They deny that the council’s willingness to attend any meeting called by the Australian Council of Trade Unions can be construed as weakness.

However, Labour Party members will be among the speakers at the meetings. Moderates on the northern coalfields believe the meetings are being called to test feeling towards a settlement, and to place on the rank and file responsibility for initiating peace moves.

State and Federal Ministers believe the miners will return to work on Government terms by the end of the month. Daily Telegraph representatives on the coalfields say that anti-Commun-ists may use the meetings to end the strike.

The first meetings will be held at Kurri, Cessnock, and Swansea, where, according to pressmen, 75 .per cent of the miners are eager for a settlement. The non-Communist president of the Northern Miners’ Federation (Mr W. Crook) has the power of carrying the men either way and the decision ma<s7 at Cessnock should vitally affect meetings elsewhere. SITUATION BETTER A coal miners’ lodge official emphasised that aggregate meetings had not yet been called, which indicated that the miners’ leaders were anxious that any decision made at tomorrow’s meetings should not be official.'

Open-cut mines will not be worked before the end of next week, by which time State Ministers hope this action will not be necessary. The coal situation in other states is improving because of increased production of local coal. In West Australia, Collie miners, who returned to work yesterday pending settlement of their dispute, produced 3000 tons of coal.

As a result, Perth had full domestic power, trams ran again and a full train service is expected before the end of the week.

Gas is still rationed to three and a half hours a day, this being the only need that local coal cannot meet. MANY BACK AT WORK A return to work of the Callide open-cut miners in Queensland will add 1000 tons a day to the total now being won. and will result in many Queenslanders being re-employed. In South Australia, Leigh Creek coal worked by members of the Australian Workers’ Union has resulted in applications for unemployment relief declining by 1000 since last week.

In New South Wales, lifting of coal at grass and in trucks is proceeding. Some 9700 tons of the best quality coal' reached Sydney yesterday, and the total quantity available will guarantee the present gas supplies for three weeks.