ITALIAN MINERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24327, 18 June 1940, Page 8

ITALIAN MINERS

SUSPENSION ANNOUNCED; UNION TAKES. ACTION STATE COLLIERIES (Per United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, June 17. A decision that ail Italians employed at the State mines would terminate their employment and that any further action should rest with the Government was reached almost unanimously at a. roll-caff meeting of the State Miners’ Union at Runanga yesterday. More than 300 members attended the meeting. Since Italy’s eptry into the conflict overseas, some 3Q Italians, both naturalised 'and Uhhaturalised. and some other aliens have been suspended pending a definite expression of opinion from all-union, members. It was authoritatively stated that there is also a possibility, now that all Italians employed at other coal mines on the West Coast at least, if not in all parts of New Zealand, will be removed from their present employment, since other* unions are believed to have been waiting for a guide from the State Miners’ Union. The president of the State Miners Union (Mr G. E. English) said that there was no vindictiveness in the decision reached and that there was ho personal feeling in any shape of form, against the Italian employees individually, but collectively it was a national matter, and the almost unanimous opinion of the meeting left no doubt of what should be done. He said that one or two other aliens had been suspended temporarily, and they would continue to be so affected until the union secured some definite knowledge as to how they stood. It is understood that the possibility of employing the Italians in a separate portion of one of the mines Was considered, but that this proposal did not meet with the approval of the men at the mass meeting. . Of the men affected at the State mines. 19 arc employed on the coal face. There is an ever-increasing demand for experienced coal hewers, and it appears that it will be most difficult to replace them.