SORRY SPECIMEN OF STRIKE STUPIDITY

NZ Truth, Issue 877, 16 September 1922, Page 4

SORRY SPECIMEN OF STRIKE STUPIDITY

—+. ARBITRATION'S ALTERNATIVE. Points that stand out prominently m connection with the recently-con-cluded mining strike at Ngakawau are not uncommon m the history of industrial strife. It is the old, old story of ill-advised, hasty action, leading to the teaching .of another lesson, m which the worker foots most of the bill and the innocent suffer. ■It was" 'on July 21 that the Ngakawau miners ceased work. For more than six weeks they remained idle. Their loss m wages was approximately £6000. what did they gain? An engine-driver on night shift refused to do his own firmg — an operation which occupies a ' few minutes once an hour — and was dismissed when he had gone to the extreme of closing down the whole plant half an hour after midnight. -The Miners' Union protested, supported the enginedriver, and when the company stood firm, the men declined to work. is :: :: In the Westland Coal Mines Award appears a Disputes Committee clause, a vitally essential provision m which is: Work shall continue m all respects, pending the decision of the dispute, as before the dispute arose. Provisions such as these are "designed m the interests of all concerned to prevent undue dislocation of industry. Flouting them is unlawful and alienates the sympathy of all law-abiding citizens. 1 This particular clause was ignored by the union. It refused the tribunal provided for by the award, but ultimately accepted one that was identical, except that there were two representatives, instead of one, from eaoh side. Two issue were submitted to the tribunal after the mine and the men had been idle for some five weeks. They were: (1) Is the company's proposed system of working the engine-room and boilers on the night shift satisfactory from a safety point of view? (2) To inquire into the dismissal of the engine-driver, and the matter of his re-instatement. A majority decision answered the first question m the affirmative. The dismissal of the engine-driver was regarded as justifiable. He was deemed to have acted hastily — to some extent under extenuating circumstances. In view of this expression of opinion and of the employee's long service, the company sensibly re-instated him. It cannot be said that the position is a case of "as you were." The workers and their dependants have received £6000 less m wages. Most of their six weeks' income that can be set off against this loss came from the pockets of follow- unionists. What has been gained? Only another lesson m strike stupidity. If the miners do claim to have gained anything, there could have been an equal achievement six weeks earlier under the Disputes clause, without loss of wages, loss of. output and inconvenienco to the public. These lessons are altogether too costly. This instance, however, has revealed one important fact that calls for an expression 'of gratification. It is said that a strong endeavour was made to embroil all the West Coast miners m the Ngakawau trouble. Wiser counsels prevailed and a ballot disclosed that the miners — or a majority of them — were opposed to a general stoppage. We have heard it said that this attitude, was due to the near approach of the General Election. We prefer to regard it as a significant sign of sanity and. abandonment of "go-slow" tactics. Arbitration has not failed. It must be supported. The alternative is batons and bullets. ,