MINERS' GRIEVANCES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14702, 1 June 1920, Page 1

MINERS' GRIEVANCES.

(Per Press Association.) ~ DUNEDIN, May 31. In accordance with notice given on* Friday last,-the miiiers working in the Taratu coal mines -went on strike today. It appears that when the new agreement- of three months ago came into operation, granting 50 per cent, increase on pre-war rates, the increase of- 3d per ton granted the miners in 1918 was discontinued'. A meeting' of men was held this evening, when it was decided to adhere to the previous determination. It appears that the strike is not too popular with some of the men. Two or three have already applied for work in the Kaitangataurine, and will commence there to-mor-row morning. - Altogether 50 men are affected-. AUCKLAND. May . 31. The miners employed by the T'aupiri Coal Company, who work at Rotowaru mine, had another day off to-day, the reason given by the head office being that the men refused to wait fo!* the train that conveys them daily to and I from the mine, and which was ■ half an hour late this morning. This train leaves Huntly every morning at seven o'clock with men for the Rotowaru and Piikemiro mines. This morning, owing to a heavy fog at Huntly in the night, considerable difficulty, .was experienced in getting up steam on the engine, and -the train was not ready to leave until about ten minutes to eight. The resultwas that the Rotowaru men decided not to wait for the belated engine, and returned to their homes. About sixty of the Pukemiro miners also refused to wait for the train and went home rather than start, work half an hour tlate. The action of the " Rotowaru i miners means a loss of 300 tons of coal, j this being: the average output of that mine, while the loss of coal from the[Pukemiro mine for the day will be in the vicinity of 200 tons, making a total loss in coal of approximately 500 tons on the output of the two mines for the day. ' - ■