THE HIKURANGI STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20959, 24 August 1931, Page 8

THE HIKURANGI STRIKE.

NO SETTLEMENT REACHED.

MINES INSPECTOR'S VISIT.

REMOVAL OF THE PUMPS* WATER MAKING IN WORKINGS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WHANGAREI, Sunday. No satisfactory basis of agreement has been reached between the management of Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement colliery at Hikurangi and the men, who have been on strike since Wednesday. As far as the union is concerned a decision to hand over the dispute to the United Mineworkers' Union was made at a meeting to-day. Mr. W. Barclay, inspector of mines, visited the locality yesterday and conferred with the management and union officials. The conference lasted all day, but no official announcement was made. Messrs. R. E. Williams, managing director, and Y. Wilsori', secretary, have returned to Auckland.

In order to cope with the position the company's officials are working strenuously in 12-hour shifts. As the result of all pumps and gear being taken out of the lower level, water is making into the mine at tbe rate of 20,000 gallons an hour. The withdrawal of the remaining pumps has been decided upon and one was taken out to-day. It is stated that the remainder will be withdrawn during this-week. It is anticipated that the mine will be flooded completely in ( from five to six weeks after all the pumps are out.

THE COMPANY'S POSITION.

MAKING UP OF WAGES.

" STAND HAD TO BE MADE.**

In a statement regarding the company's position, Mr. Stanley Reid, general manager of Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement, Limited, says: "As to the amount of wages required to be made up—over which the men have struck—it is true that the total make-up on the pay-sheet 1 is only £2 9s lOd, out of which the company refused to recognise' the claims of three men for a sum totalling £1 7s 7d. In view of the suggestion that the company might easily have paid the amount involved rather than "Visit a strike, it must be pointed out that the mine management was satisfied that in many eases the miners could have earned the minimum wage and that it was their own fault that they did nob do so. "Make-ups have been required on every-pay-sheet and four recent amounts were , as'follows:—£lo 9s 2d, £26 17s 6d, £2 105.3d (for one shift only), and £26 3s Id. It will be seen that a stand had to be made if the colliery was to be operated at a reasonable cost." ' ' , , The company's local manager in Whangarei states that if the safety, men alone came back the present operations of the management in removing the pumps would go on uninterrupted. The services of the. safety men-without.the production of coal would not relieve, the position. Inquiries were made last evening from the works manager of Wilsons 1 Company at Portland and be stated that • the cement works lisd an ample supply:of coal on hand. CLAIMS OF THE UNION. THE MINIMUM WAGE. " PREPARED TO MEET MANAGER." [from our own correspondent.] WHANGAREI, Sunday. Subsequent, to to-day's meeting of the union, a statement reviewing the position was made by the secretary, who said that the men were not worrying whether the mine was closed or not. They considered, the owners' "bogey" of closing the mi"® had been held oyer them for a long time. Mr. W. Barclay, inspector of mines, was in the locality all day yesterday and a portion of to-day endeavouring to bring about a conciliatory spirit. Yesterday he offered to pay the money in dispute out of his own pocket, but the union contended it was the principle and not the amount which was involved. The management of the colliery also offered to place the sum in dispute in the hands of a neutral person and invited the union to take legal action against the company to recover it. The experience of the past with regard to law was such that the union bad no confidence in recourse to it, said the secretary. In February last, he continued, an average of 12 men received below tbe minimum wage. Even if the roof of the mine were good, and other conditions satisfactory the union contended there were insufficient "skips" to enable the men to earn the minimum wage.

The secretary stated further that on Saturday the union offered the manager the use of the safety-men, provided tho directors of the company would meet the union. The manager replied that safetymen were of no usei to him, but that he wanted the coal. Union officials were prepared to meet the manager or director' at any time. The union contended that the matter in dispute could not be referred to the disputes committee, which dealt with disputes outside the award. The matter of the present, dispute was within the award.