MINERS REJECT OFFER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21225, 4 July 1932, Page 10

MINERS REJECT OFFER.

SECRET BALLOT RESULT.

DECISION IN THE WAIKATO.

MEN'S OBJECTIONS OUTLINED. SEVERAL CLAUSES IN DISPUTE. " [llY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. 3 HUNTLY. Sunday. The count of the secret ballot taken in the Waikato to decide whether die miners would accept the terms of the proposed agreement submitted by the mineowncrs has been completed. A notice posted in Huntlv on Saturday announced thai the mass meetings had by a large majority rejected the owners' offer, but officials of tho Waikato Miners' Union declined to givo any information as to the number who voted or the extent of the majority. The situation will be considered at a meeting of tho Northern Miners' Council, to bo held to-morrow morning, after which it is expected that an official statement will be issued. It was stated to-day, however, that tho owners' offer was rejected by a majority of almost four to one.

A series of three meetings was held to obtain the opinion of all the men. Tho first of these was held at Huntly on Friday and two were held yesterday, one at Pukemiro and the other at Rotowaro. It is reported that all the meetings were well attended. The voting papers used in the secret ballot at all the meetings were placed in the same box and were counted at the conclusion of the Pukemiro meeting. The issue set out on the paper was: "Are you in favour of accepting the agreement ?—Yes orS No." The papers were counted by tho official returning officer of the''union, Mr. H. Fairless, in the presence of the scrutineers, Messrs. J. Adams and D. Partis. Tines for Stone in Coal. It was asserted that the result of the ballot had never been in doubt and that at least six of tho clauses would need revising beforo the offer would bo acceptable to the men. In addition to the now famous clause 27a, popularly known as the "hiro and fire" clause, there are several main clauses which arc the subject of contention. For one thing the men object to tho clause which imposes a fine .of 3d for every 71b. of stone found in a box of coal. It is said that it is difficult to detect the stone in some badlylighted places and if a miner had 491b. of stone in a box of about 14cwt. he would be fined Is 9d, which would be about the amount of his pay for hewing the coal. Formerly there was a general understanding that the miners would see that the coal was kept as clean as possible. It was also stated to-day that the owners were insisting lhat the grade in a heading should be one in ten before it would be paid for as a dip heading, which was considered unreasonable. Again, the rate provided in the timber clause represented a reduction of 45 per cent, on the old agreement. Nearly all the men spoken to to-day complained of the new terms of the wet time clause. Hitherto they have, been called on to work six hours in the wet and have received pay for eight hours. Now they say they have to be saturated for the whole of the working period before they can claim to be doing wet work ahd must work for seven hours. Instead of getting pay for the time not worked they are to receive as an eStra 20 per cent, of tho amount actually earned in the seven hours. Household Supplies. The men also claim that the increase in the price to be charged to them for household coal represents a rise of about 180 per cent, on the price previously charged. Tho concession on the price of the coal bought by them, they say,' was always regarded as part of Jjieir wages, and they considered it unfair that there should now bo any attempt to deprive them of the concession.

Other clauses in'the owners' offer which caused the men to vote against it were those relating to the term of the award, and the abolition of the guaranteed minimum wage. The proposal is to make the agreement for seven months only whereas, according to the men, they have always agreed to a two-year term. The men say that their representatives offeredHo accept a 12-month term, but the owners desired to have the agreement expire on January 31 next year. In the past, if a .man struck a hard, stony place and was unable to make full wages, lie had his wages made up to 16s 2d per shift by the company, but under the new proposals he will get. nothing extra. As far as could be gathered to-day the men object to the alteration of a number of working conditions. There has been no alteration in the hewing rate, they say, but an attempt is being made to get them to do for nothing a lot of work that has hitherto been paid for. "If the men are offered the general terms of the agreement made with the Wilton men as the conditions for a district agreement," stated a unionist, "I think there is little doubt that they would accept it. It would not be as good as our old agreement, but it would be a lot bettor than the one that is now offered to us." VOTE AT iIIKX'RANGI.

NEW OFFER DECLINED.

FOUR TO ONE MAJORITY

[IJY TELEGEAPU.—OWN COKBESFONDENT.] WHANG ARE!, Sunday.

The secret ballot held yesterday at Hikurangi by the Hikurangi Miners' Union resulted in the terms of the proposed new agreement being rejected by a majority of about four to one. At the meeting the whole agreement was submitted in detail.

It is understood that tho two clauses to which most objection was taken are a manager's right to dismiss employees and the abolition of the minimum wage. : • OWNERS' DETERMINATION. COAL WILL BE MINED. » SURPRISE AT MEN'S ACTION. "The terms and conditions offered to the Miners' District Council on Thursday were in every way most liberal, and it came as a great surprise to me to hear that the men had rejected them," said Mr. \V. D. Holgate, president of the New Zealand Cdal Mine Owners' Association, yesterday. "One can only come to the conclusion that their principal objection must have been connected with the right to engage and digmiss men, a privilege which every other industry in New Zealand enjoys." Regarding future action by the mining companies, Mr. llolgate said he could make no statement because no^-decision had been arrived at, in spite of rumours that had been in circulation. "I can only s;\y," he concluded, "that as there is now a definite shortage of coal and the ordinary needs of the public are not being satisfied, the companies are determined that coal shall be produced." >*