AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19802, 29 May 1926, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

THE COALFIELDS DISPUTE. POSITION OF STATE MINERS. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, May 28. It is announced on behalf of the strikers at the State coal mine at Lithgow that the men will resume work on the conditions which prevailed before the strike. Application is to be made on behalf of the men employed in the colliery for the Industrial Commissioner to adjudicate on the dispute. The men, numbering _ between 400 and 500, have notified the Minister of Labour and Industry that they are prepared to abide by the Commissioner’s decision. LITHGOW MINE RESUMES ON MONDAY. SYDNEY, May 28. (Received May 28, at 9 p.m.) Work is being resumed in the Lithgow colliery’ on Monday, and it is evpected that additional mines will resume on similar terms during the next few days. HOURS OF WORK DISPUTE. A SETTLEMENT EFFECTED. TRADES HALL OFFER ACCEPTED. SYDNEY, May 28. (Received May 28, at 11 p.m.) A meeting of the Metal Trades Employers’ Association decided to accept the Trades Hall. Disputes Committee’s offer for a settlement of the dispute, thus ending the 44-hours strike, which rendered idle 30,000 employees. A mass meeting of the .men will be held on Saturday to ratify the committee’s action. Many of the owners were against accepting the men’s offer but after a heated discussion it was accepted by a narrow majority. The Disputes Committee made an offer that the employees, without prejudice to the employers’ privileges under the Federal awards, should resume on terms of a 44-hours’ week, to be worked either in five or six days as required by the employer and be paid for on the time worked only. The Disputes Committee is to give an undertaking that no demand for increased wages will be made until the newly constituted Federal Court deals with the matter. The restrictions on overtime and shift work are to be removed ’and overtime and shifts are to be worked as required by the employer.