AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19803, 31 May 1926, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

THE COLLIERIES DISPUTE. PLIGHT OP MINERS SERIOUS. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY May 29. Mr Gibson, general secretary of the Engine-drivers and Firemen’s Federation, announced that the strike has been settled at the Tyldesley Mine, Lithgow, the owners having acceded to the men’s demands. The colliery has an output of 500 tons daily. The owners are not members of the Northern Collieries Association. The strike will have been in progress three weeks to-day. During that time the 30,000 miners affected have drawn no wages, as their federation is without relief funds. The plight of the miners is stated to be serious. FORTY-FOUR-HOUR WELK. BOTH BIDES CLAIM VICTORY HEAVY LOSS IN WAGES. (Pres* Aijoolatlon—By Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, May 29. Both sides in the 44-hour dispute claim the victory. The conditions of the settlement, however, show that each party has made liberal concessions in the interests of peace. Although the employers have agreed that the men shall work 44 hours for 44 hours’ pay the settlement does not involve no iSaturday work. The employers are allowed to work employees on Saturday, if they should desire. The unions believe that they will be able to obtain from the Commonwealth Arbitration Court the rate of wages that they previously. enjoyed for 48 hours’ work. It is estimated that the strikers lost £176,000 in wages during the four weeks that the strike was in progress.