COAL MINES IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22619, 6 January 1937, Page 8

COAL MINES IDLE

DISPUTES IN NORTH THREE WORKINGS INVOLVED QUESTIONS OF PAYMENT KAMO EMPLOYERS' OFFER [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN- CORRESPOND Wijj WHAXGAREI, Tutsday Mining troubles which have been foreshadowed in the past few days in the Whangarei district culminated to-day, three mines being involved. The dispute embracing the greater i number of men was at the works j of Kamo Collieries, Limited, which employs 70 men, and Huafangata Collieries, Limited, a mine with 10 employees. At a joint stopwork meeting of the workers this afternoon a unanimous decision was reached not to work until a 10 per cent increase in pay was granted to the day wages men, the increase to be retrospective to approximately December 1, on which date the Hikurangi Coal Company, Limited, commenced to pay this increase to its day wages men The directors of Kamo Collieries, L} m . ited, decided to-night to pay the 10 per cent increase, and suggested that the question of arrears be referred to arbitration. It is considered probable that the men will accept this proposal. Two Viewpoints Expressed Mr. C. A. Latham, secretary of the Miners' Union, said to-day that a 10 per cent increase was decided upon by practically all the coal companies in New Zealand at the time that a reduction was made in the working hour? from 45 to 40. There was no actual legal machinery to enforce the increase, and as the two companies concerned had not fallen into line with other companies the men had no option but to take the course decided upon. Mr. W. M. Fraser, a director of Kamo Collieries, said the company some time ago entered into a working agreement with the men, the terms being approved by Mr. A. McLagan, general secretary of the Lnited Mine Workers of New Zealand. The agreement expired on December 31. The company had had practically no warning that a strike was contemplated. The other dispute developed at Hikurangi, where the 16 men engaged on two new drives in the Hikurangi Coal Company's area were due to resume work after the holidays. The question of payment to these men of alleged back pay, amounting to about £IOO. was the subject of a dispute before Christmas. As the company was not prepared to acknowledge liability and pay the amount to-day, the men. did not resume work. The result was that the remainder of the men could not be employed and the mine is now idle. Safety Men at Work The task of keeping these three mines free of water is an expensive one, especially at Hikurangi, and, if the men do not work, the weekly cost without any financial return is a matter of some concern. Mr. L. J. Stevens, chairman of the Hikurangi Coal Company, Limited, and Mr. TV. Barclay, inspector of mines, arrived at Hikurangi this evening. Mr. C. P. Collins, inspector of awards, was engaged throughout the day in an effort to effect an amicable settlement of the troubles. The Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, is expected within a fewdays, when it is understood he will investigate the whole .position. The safety men have not in the meantime been withdrawn from the mines, as the men consider that should be done, only as a last resort. DEVELOPMENT AT WAIHI STOPPAGE OF WORK CLAIM BY ENGINE-DRIVERS [FROM Ol'R OWN correspondent] "WAIHI, Tuesday Work after the Christmas holidays, which started in the Waihi mine at 8 i o'clock this morning, stopped at four j o'clock this afternoon. The decision was j the outcome of the view held by sis j members of the South Auckland EngineI drivers' Union that the yearly payment by way of a bonus that had been made to them since 1925 should have been repeated. These men worked at numbers 2 and 4 shafts, which are the main shafts from which quartz for the Victoria battery at Waikino is hauled. Hundreds of men in Waihi and Wai" kino are concerned about the outcome of tho development. As the men decided not to man the engines after 4 o'clock, unless an arrangement satisfactory to them wa» made, the Martha Gold Mining Company (Waihi), Limited, which employs them, posted notices that, because the winders at the shafts refused to man the engines, the company regretted that it would not be able to work the afternoon and night shifts. This will affect most of the men who work underground. It is understood that negotiations between the employers and the men have taken place for several days. "There will be enough quartz_ available to keep the battery at Waikino going until Wednesday morning, stated the mine superintendent, Mr. "« W. Hopkins, this afternoon.