AGREEMENT REACHED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26842, 5 August 1948, Page 5

AGREEMENT REACHED

FEDERAL COAL BOARD AND MINERS ONE-DAY STRIKE AVERTED Rec. 9 p.m. SYDNEY, Aug. 4. The Premier, Mr James McGirr. announced early this morning that the Joint Coal Boad and the Miners’ Federation had reached an agreement. In a last-minute effort to avert a disastrous one-day coal strike in New South Wales and Victoria to-morrow, Mr McGirr and the Federal Minister of Fuel and Shipping, Senator W. P. Ashley, called members of the Joint Coal Board and representatives of the miners into conference. As a result the following statement was issued:— “The conference has reported to the Premier and Senator Ashley that an understanding has been reached and has expressed the hope to the Ministers that not only would the present crisis be overcome but that production would improve from now on.” The dramatic attempt to break the deadlock began with Senator Ashley flying from Canberra to confer with Mr McGirr. Senator Ashley had attended a secret session of the Cabinet

at which the coal crisis was discussed at length, and the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley and Senator .Ashley told the Cabinet that they were prepared to go to the coalfields and talk to the miners if that would achieve any worthwhile •result. This was done in 1941 by the then Prime Minister, Mr R. C. Menzies. 0

The terms of the agreement are:— First, that the aggregate meetings of miners set down for to-morrow will be abandoned; secondly, the Miners’ Federation undertakes to give effect within three weeks to the May decision of the Central Council of the federation to maintain internal discipline: thirdly, the federation will recommend to the unions concerned the endorsement of the production of coal on the second shift at open cut mines where this is practicable; fourthly, the board will apply for an adjournment of the hearing of the application for more stringent conditions governing holiday pay until a date to be fixed.