MEN CEASE WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27297, 25 January 1950, Page 8

MEN CEASE WORK

STOCKTON STATE MINE DISPUTE OVER MAN-POWER AT FACE PA ' WESTPORT Jan. 24.A deputation which met the management of the Stockton State mine yesterday in connection with a Miners Union request that the usual number of men—32 pairs—be put in the cavil at the mine today reported to a stopwork meeting that the management adhered to its decision to employ 30 pairs only. After the meeting it was decided that as a protest against the refusal of the managment to retain the usual number of miners on the coal face, no work be undertaken at the mine until such time as ., tb ? h !- e< W?ft was granted. As a result, the mine was idle to-day, the workers returning to their homes. At the conclusion ot the meeting the secretary of the Stockton Miners Union, Mr-Tyler, said that the union took strong exception to the reduction of man-power from coal faces at a time when coal was ur f , re ‘ quired in the Dominion and the Government was importing supplies Mr T. McGhie, superintendent of State mines in the Buffer district, said there was no suggestion on the part of the management ot taking two pairs of miners off the coal. Iwo nairs of men had left the mine, and because of unexpected difficulties met with in the Webb mine restricting the number of places available, the management could not place more than the 30 pairs left. The position nad been examined by the management and union check inspectors, and tne latter had agreed with the management that no places were available for the new men. When the union spokesman made reference to the , coai ”, ee £! of the country, Mr McGhie said he had offered to place the two P au 's of men concerned on production at Mu lerton, where the output per miner shift was higher than at ytockton, and where the two pairs could have: produced more coal than at Stockton, even had places been available there " One cannot theretore agree, Mr McGhie added, “ that the union is genuinely concerned about coal production in the national interest, for today’s decision was made to stop work without referring the dispute either to the local Disputes Committee or to the Coal Council which could have resolved it in time to have allowed a change of places at the cavil on Monday next in terms of their finding Finally, it is necessary to say that I had assured the union executive that as soon as possible, probably within two months, more than two additional pairs of miner . s would be required at Stockton," said Mr McGhie. WALLSEND MINE IDLE PA GREYMOUTH, Jan. 24 ff'he Wallsend State mine was idle today for the third successive day as the result of the unions demand for the replacement of a stay in an auxiliary shaft on the grounds of safety. Repairs to the stay we^. e undertaken during the week-end, and the ment considered the shaft safe for normal work yesterday, after their represenatives had inspec ted it, demanded that further work be done, and returned borne. Additional work carried out yesterday was certified as sate by the chief inspector and the district mspectoi ot mines last night. The men. a Sami refused to go down the mine this morn-, ing, reiterating their demand that the stay should be replaced instead ot reThis work is now being undertaken, and is expected to be com Pl ete d Wf overtime work, so that the shaft should meet the union s requirements by tomorrow.