GOLD MINE IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 10

GOLD MINE IDLE

SEQUEL TO A DISMISSAL ALEXANDER RIVER DISPUTE CONFERENCE ENDS IN DEADLOCK * [nY TELEGRAPH- OWN* CORRESPONDENT] GREYMOUTH, Friday • Because of the dismissal of a wages man whom the union considered had been unfairly treated by the company, f about 22 quartz miners employed by the Alexander gold mine at Alexander l?iver, in the Inangahua district, have been out on strike since holding a stopwork meeting yesterday morning.

Four directors and the mine manager, Mr W. J. Hall, met representatives of the union at Totara Flat last evening to discuss the matter. The directors, according to a statement made co-day by a union official, refused to reconsider the dismissal. The man concerned had been away from work on compensation for about three weeks, having returned to work only on Wednesday , morning. Two of the three union representatives who met the directors, the president and a member of the committee, claim 'that they had it made plain to them that further work at the mine would not be available to them. As a result the whole of the miners refused to work.

For a lengthy period the Alexander * mine was declared "black" by other unions owing to the employment by the company of non-union labour. This position obtained until about two years ago. when the union's affiliation was accepted by the Federation of Labour. Since that time the mine had experienced no stoppages. The most isolated quartz mine in New Zealand, the Alexander mine is situated about 17. miles back in the ranges from Ikamatua. Owing to its isolation, the company has found great difficulty in securing sufficient, labour to maintain production, aud appeals have been made in recent months to the State Placement Service and to the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb