WAGES OF MINERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 7

WAGES OF MINERS.

TEN PER CENT. CUT. WAIHI COMPANY EMPLOYEES. _____ COURT'S DECISION CONSIDERED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WAIHI, Monday. . A largely-attended meeting of the Waihi Miners' Union was held yesterday to consider the majority decision of the Arbitration Court not to exclude workers employed by the Waihi Gold Mining Company from the general prdor reducing wages by 10 per cent. The meeting was not open to the press and although it was not decided what further action, if any, should be taken to protest against the finding, pending the receipt of the full text of the decision, it is understood that strong expressions of resentment were made at the failure of the Court to grant the application for exemption in view of the highly successful operations of the company during the past and present year. Another matter before the meeting was the notice served on the union last weekend that all existing contracts in tha mino would be terminated as from Saturday, September 19, when a readjustment of prices to be agreed upon between tho company and the contractors would coma into force. In the absence of information as to the effect of the change} nothing was done in this matter. When inquiries were made to-day the company's superintendent, Mr. H. W. Hopkins, stated that the main object in readjusting prices was to obviate the existing system of deducting 10 per cent, from the contractors when paying out. The new rates would also take into consideration the fact that with the introduction of the new 6ystem, contract parties would be called upon to pay the actual cost price for all stores, including explosives, supplied to them by the company, which had not always been charged in the past. The total deductions to be made as from September 19 would be approximately tho equivalent of tho 10 per cent, reduction ordered by the Arbitration Court.