MINE STOPPAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22512, 1 September 1936, Page 12

MINE STOPPAGE

NO WORK AT WAIHI

40-HOUR WEEK AWARD COMPANY'S INTERPRETATION OBJECTION BY THE UNION [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WAIIII, Monday No work has boon cfono in tho Martha goldmine or at the Victoria battery at Waikino since the day shift was to have started yesterday morning. The refusal by the men to work followed a mass meeting of the Ohinemuri Minos and Batteries Union and allied unions on Sunday morning, largely as a protest against Saturday work, and more particularly because several men who reported for work at tho Martha mine at the usual time this morning were told they were not to start until such time as allotted by ciio Martha Gold Mining Company (Wailii), Limited, to meet its new adjustment of hours in terms of tho 40hour week granted by tho Arbitration. Court. "When tho men went to work this morning tho interpretation of the 40hour week by the Martha Company was not accepted," stated a semioflicial union report. "Certain employees of the company reported at the usual time for working, but were not allowed to start until such time as that allotted by the company under its new adjustment of hours to meet the 40-hour woek, which members of the union could not agree upon. "Consequently all work in tho mine arid at the battery ceased to-day. In tho new adjustment of hours of work the unions have not been consulted on the matter. "Tho men in the Golden Dawn mine at Owharoa, are so far not affected." EXPLANATION OP CHANGES LIMITATIONS OF THE FLANT Explaining the changes that had been made in conditions to comply with the order o? the Arbitration Court, Mr. E. G. Milligan, local director and attorney of tho Martha Gold Mining Company (Waihi), Limited, said yesterday that at the hearing of the union's application for a 40-hour week the company had submitted that it was a physical impossibility to work a fiveday week with tho existing plant without reducing the tonnage of ore handled. The Court accepted this sabmission and made an order permitting the same work on Saturdays as on other week-days without payment of overtime. Officers of the company, said Mr. Milligan, had 6pent three days in drawing up a rearrangement of the routino work whereby men in all sections would be enabled to work a 40hour week, although tho equivalent of tho former five and n-half days' work would bo maintained in tho mine as a whole. This involved the engagement of a number of additional men as relieving hands. Every endeavour had been made to arrange the working hours as simply and conveniently as . possible, but broken shifts could not be avoided. These, however, had been worked to some extent under tho former system. According to information received yesterday by the company from the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, the Assistant-Secretary for Labour, Mr. H. E. Moston, and the Hon. E. Dye, M.L.C., will, arrive at Waihi from "Wellington to-day to discuss the cause of the stoppage with representatives of the men. Mr. Dye, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council last March, had been for a number of years president of the Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Union.

COALFIELD DELAY

TRUCKERS' RATES OF PAY

STOP-WORK MEETING HELD [by TELEGRAFH —OWN* correspondent] lIUNTLY, Monday Work was suspended at the Glen Afton and Macdonald mines to-day following a stop-work meeting to discuss a demand by the truckers for an increase in their rates of pay. The meeting was held after the specified time for tho commencement of work for the day and the management suspended operations for to-day. It is understood that tho matter is not a very serious one and that work will recommence in the morning.

WORK DECLINED DISPUTE AT NAPIER MEN ON NO. 5 SCHEME [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] NAPIER, Monday The Napier relief workers, in accordance with their decision reached on Saturday, declined to work to-day. The Napier City Council is the principal local body affected by tho decision. The Marino Parade improvements and the removal of disused tram tracks were being carried out with tho aid of tho No. 5 scheme, but the men this morning rofused to accept work on either job. Tho Hawke's Bay County Council has a few workers engaged under the scheme, but it has been ascertained thnt the Hawke's Bay Hi vers Board workers at Olive, who were stated on Saturday to ho associated with the cessation of work, nro not affected, owing to the fact that they are employed on <i different basis. About 70 men attended a further meeting this morning, when tho previous K decision to seek a 40-hour week at award rates of pay for No. 5 scheme workers was reaffirmed. Tho Secrotary of Labour, Mr. J. S. Hunter, is to arrive in Napier to-morrow afternoon from Wairoa, and the men have approached Mr. E. A. Wood, of the Labour Department at Napier,*,with the object of arranging a conference wjth Mr. Hunter.

The Mayor of Napier, i\lr. C. 0. Morse, said the work, or tlic greater part of it, being carried nut bv the Napier Borough Council with the aid of No. 5 scheme was of a non-essential type. It was not in any way urgent. In fact, it had been provided largely as a result of an agreement reached with the Unemployment Board to give jobs to relief workers.