BRITISH COAL MINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21197, 1 December 1930, Page 9

BRITISH COAL MINES

A SPREADOVER OF HOURS. ACCEPTANCE IN SOME AREAS. STOPPAGE MAY BE AVOIDED. (British Official Wireless.) (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, November 28 (Received Nov, 30, at 6.5 p.m.) Hopes have been considerably strengthened that a stoppage in the South Wales coalfield will be avoided. The National Coal Board, having examined the miners’.cash throughout the day, at midnight issued a statement that a unanimous conclusion had been reached, which had been embodied in a report which was forwarded to the parties concerned m the dispute. This is unofficially stated to recommend a spreadover of hours. for South Wales without a reduction in wages. The eight-hour day would thus be continued, as is being done in other districts, for a temporary period. It is anticipated that the South Wales miners and owners will hold a joint conference on Saturday to consiaer the application of a spreadover in their district, and later in the day the miners’ leaders will ask members .to approve of the agreement. Stoppages have been avoided in several other fields, where owners and miners have come to terms. In North Staffordshire a spreadover of hours was accepted until January 31, next on the basis of a maximum of 45 hours a week at the current rate of wagesi In Northunibp.rland there is spreadover of hours, but a seven and a-half hour day will be observed a slaid down by the Act. In Cannock Chase the miners are to work a seven and a-half hour day for the next fortnight, pending the hearing of an appeal by the Coal Board. . In the. Tirivol area a spreadover of hours is to be continued pending negotiations for a final settlement. NATIONAL COAL BOARD. INTERIM REPORT ISSUED. LONDON, November 28. (Received Nov. 30, at 5.5 p.m.) The National Coal Board has issued an interim report suggesting that the South Wales and Monmouthshire owners and miners should immediately seek an agreement. Meanwhile the board has adjourned the hearing of the miners' claims. If the dispute is not settled by agreement it should be referred back to the National Board for full hearing, THE MDJEP.S’ CONFERENCE. STAND AGAINST A SPREADOVER. LONDON, November 28. (Received Nov. y 3O, at 5.5 p.m.) The miners’ delegate conference rejected applications from four districts for permission to work spreadover hours, and recommended that in the event of a 'stoppage in any district other disshould consider giving notices of a-national cessation of work.

Mr Cook subsequently described the situation as very .grave. North Wales, South Wales, Cumberland, Scotland and possibly some Midland districts, would he involved in stoppages on Monday unless something happened in the meantime. The miners regarded the spreadover as a continuance of the eight-hour day. The South Wales owners to-night decided to post notices on the coalfields offering a continuance of the existing conditions throughout December, the hours not to exceed 90 in a fortnight. A joint Conciliation Board is meanwhile attempting to settle conditions for a permanent spreadover. In the event of failure the matter will be referred to independent arbitration. Following the miners’ decision Mr William Graham (President of the Board of Trade) and Mr E. Shinwell (secretary to the Department of Mines) met representatives of the miners and the owners, after which the Government telegraphed to the districts affected by the decision, urging that the temporary arrangements should be continued pending a further meeting of the Miners’ Conference on December C. THE SCOTTISH MINERS. STOPPAGE DECIDED ON. LONDON, November 29. (Received Nov. 30, at 5.5 p.m.) > The Scottish miners have, decided on a complete stoppage. , The South Wal6s miners have accepted the owners’ terms for a temporary settlement. The district secretary (Mr Tom Richards ), who is also president of the Miners’ Federation, declared that the owners suddenly withdrew their demands or a drastic reduction of wages to-day and put up terms for a spreadover, so that South Wales was left no option ut to accept the arrangements. The matter will be considered at tne national conference on December 4.

UNANIMITY AMONG MINERS. LONDON, November 29. (Received Nov. 30, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr Doonan, the president of the Scotthe mine workers, commenting on the conference’s decision, declared that the owners’ terms were a violation of the Coalminers Act of 1930. For this reason there would be absolute unanimity among the miners in resisting them. The conference felt that it was therefore unnecessary to make an urgent appeal to the miners. Mr Shinwell was all day long in touch telephonically with Mr Ramsay MacDonald. Temporary agreements had been reached in Warwickshire, Cumberland, and Lancashire.