MINERS’ WAGES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 20

MINERS’ WAGES.

MEN-REFUSE TO ACCEPT REDUCTIONS. THOUSANDS IDLE. SYDNEY, January 3. Tbe wheelers at the Wallsend, Burwood, Lambton B, Dudley Co-operative, West Wallsend, and Newcastle A and B pits have refused to accept tbe reduction of 10 per cent, which the drop of fourpence in tbe miners’ hewing rate, enforced' from to-day, carries with it. Nearly six thousand miners are thrown out of work. The miners at the Pelawmain and Wallarah collieries have also struck against a reduction of sixpence in the hewing rate. SYDNEY, January 4. The colliery proprietors intend to take legal action against the wheelers for a breach of the award of the Arbitration Court in refusing to accept the 10 per cent, reduction involved in the reduced hewing rate. With the exception of four pits, where the miners are doing their wheeling, and work is proceeding on a small scale, Jie position at Newcastle is unaltered. The strike is seriously interfering with the loading of shipping. The Arbitration Court is to consider the case on Friday. SYDNEY, January 5. The Newcastle wheelers now on strike against a 10 per cent, reduction held a meeting, at which it was decided not to return to work unless the wages ruling last year are paid. It was also resolved to form a union of independent miners, those miners doing their own wheeling to be placed on the black list. Tbe Dudley co-operative collieries, which yesterday were partially working, were idle to-day, the miners declining to continue to do wheeling. Of the Newcastle Coal Company’s Glebe pits, only two out of those where the wheelers struck are now working. SYDNEY, January 6. The Arbitration Court-, on the application of the Northern Colliery Proprietors’ Association, has ordered the wheelers on strike to return to work. The Court has fixed the penalty for infringement of the order at £250 if by the Employees’ F’ederation, and at £5 if by an individual employee.

It is believed in Newcastle that the wheelers will ignore the Court’s order. The Glebe colliers were idle to-day.