THE MINING DEADLOCK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11046, 1 November 1921, Page 3

THE MINING DEADLOCK

FEDERATION’S OBJECTIONS DIVIDED OPINION ON QUESTION OF AGREEMENT. STATEMENT AND REPLY. Interviewed yesterday in regard to, the deadlock which has been reached in the negotiations for the settlement of the mining dispute, the president of the New Zealand Miners* Federation (Mr B. Davidson) made some interesting remarks in regard to the viewpoint of the miners. Some equally interesting rejoinders were made by the acting-secretary of the Coal Mine Owners* Association (Mr T. O. Bishop). ■ WHY THE CONFERENCE WAS ABORTIVE. Mr Davidson stated that the Mt. Linton and Wairaki mines were working under the old national agreement up till July 4th last. Before any new agreement was entered into the management introduced a new method of work, namely, the filling of coeil bv forks, as against shovel filling. A redaction of 30 per cent, in wages was also enforced at llataura before any new agreement was entered into or even discussed. That was the reason why the conference in Westport was abortive, the miners contending that no negotiations regarding a new agreement could take place until all members of the Miners’ Federation were first of all at work under the old agreement. An old agreement remained in force until it was superseded by a new one. Whenever a dispute arose, said Mr Davidson, the first claim the owners made on the federation was that normal conditions should prevail before they could discuss the question of effecting a settlement. The Miners’ Federation took up the same attitude—namely, that normal conditions must exist throughout the federation before new agreements could bo discussed. e added that there was practically no country in the world where forks were employed in the mines. It was an antiquated method and had gone out of existence long ago in favour of shovel filling. The two mines at which the lock-ont existed had never used forks in their history. “We insist,” he said “that these two mines must continue working under the old national agreement before the miners can enter into negotiations for the drafting of new district agreements." MR BISHOP’S STATEMENT. Mr Bishop, in an interview, stated that the Wairaki and Linton mines had not at any time been working Under separate agreements of thenr own. They commenced work during the war period, And adopted the agreement then in force between the Nightcaps Cool Company and the Nightoaps district union, of which their employees were members. This agreement provided for the filling of coal in the mines by means of forks, and in demanding that the miners should resume the use of forks on and after July 4th the Wairaki and LintonS Coal Companies were only aaking their employees to revert to what had always been the practice in the Nightcaps district, tout temporarily suspended during the special conditions arising out of the war, and' which, moreover, was provided for by the agreement which was applicable to* the whole district. The second statement, made by Mr Davidson, that- the mine-owners had always insisted that every mine in New Zealand should be working normally before they world discuss any question of new agreements, was absolutely incorrect. This could he seen by a reference to the official report of the conference held in 1920, at which the national agreement was made. While this conference Was sitting the Paparoa Coal Miners’ Union was ont on strike, and the owners did not insist that thev should resume work before the national' agreement was concluded.; in fact, they did not resume work for many months afterwards. "Mr Davidson's present repudiation of the arrangement which he made with the coalmine own orb for the holding of district conferences and the refefcnce of points remaining in dispute after such conferences to the Arbitration. Court,” said Mr Bishop, "is entirely due to the opposition to this arrangement raised ,by certain unions on the West Coast, a sample of .which is contained in the following manifested issued to all miners' union* throughout New Zealand by the secretary to the Blackball Miners’ Union:— AN APPEAL. From the Blackball Miners’ Union. To You. Dear Comrade, —The members of The Blackball Miners’ Union call upon their fellow-workers in the coal-mining industry to stand pat and fight for at least the present conditions and_ rate of stages provided for in the existing national agreement, which took , via years of hard fighting and sacrificing to obtain ; and which we stand to lose if we accept the proposals offered to ns as a result of the latest negotiations ■between our- National Executive and the Coal Mine Owners’ Association. The I members of the Blackball Miners’ Union see in them a very cunning attempt by the coal owners to force us into that master-class institution known as the Arbitration Court. The history of the said court, from its very inception, has proved it to be beyond doubt merely an instrument for, and in the interests of, the employing class. Its chief function seems to be to determine just how little it should: take to keep the workers in a condition to go on working and piling up profits for the bosses. Employers’ federations, welfare leagues etc., etc., applaud its efforts. A.-a well they might, they havef everything to gain from it—-the workers nothing. We call upon the coal miners of New Zealand to resist by every means in their power any and every attempt to do away with conditions already obtained; and a possible reduction in wages. If we have a spark of -resistance in our make-up, or an atom of thought for the welfare of our homes and children, there can only he one answer. By cowardly giving way in our everyday conflict with the coal owners, we ' are proving our unfitness to take part in the final Struggle for the overthrow of the present abominable system of production for profit, which is a task that can never be undertaken and successfully carried out -by possiv'e re sisters. Remember the old saying: “The wheel that does the squeaking gets the grease." Don’t delegate your thinking power • to' others—think for. yourselves and aot. : Yours on' behalf of the Blackball Miners’ Union, W. BALDERSTON, Secretary. In conclusion, Mr Bishop remarked that it was a pity that Mr Davidson could not see his way in the face of this opposition to abide honourably by the agreement which he entered into.