COAL MINEES' STRIKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 8 May 1890, Page 31

COAL MINEES' STRIKE.

A atrike has taken place among the coal miners employed in Messrs Hazlett and Glendining's Shag Point mine. The men went out last Friday morning, owing to a dispute between the mine manager, Mr W. H. Williams, and one of the men, Mr W. Blackie, who holds the position of president of the Shag Valley branch of the Amalgamated Miners' and Labourers' Association. The position of matters from the men's point of view is this : — Last Thursday the mine manager complained that Mr Blackie had been sending stone up from the mine amongst the coal, and wanted to deduct two skips or trucks from the quantity of coal that had been sent. Mr Blackie, however, declined to allow the manager to do this, and mentioned the union in connection with the matter. Mr Williams thereupon said he would discharge Blackie on the spot for mentioning the union, and also anyone else who mentioned it. In consequence of the action of Mr Williams a meeting of the union was called on Thursday night, and after the matter had been considered, a deputation was appointed to wait on the manager, and ask him to give Mr Blackie 14 days' notice of dismissal, so that the affair could be investigated ia the meantime. If, however, Mr Williams refused to give Mr Blackie notice, the men were to go out on strike without giving the manager notice. The deputation accordingly interviewed Mr Williams and represented their views to him. He then said that the men could all go to work quietly, but he declined to allow Mr Blackie to do so. He also mentioned that he was quite willing that the men should have a union, but they must not interfere with his work. It should be mentioned that the men, who had previously examined the skip that the manager had complained about, came to the conclusion that it was a fair skip of third-class coal, and at the interview just mentioned they offered to give the manager an equal quantity of coal for all stone that was in the skip while the matter of the dispute was being investigated. Mr Williams, however, said that Blackie would not work in the mine any more, and that he would discharge the secretary of the union after giving him 14 days' notice. Owing to the stand taken up by the manager, the union decided to call the men out on strike,°and on Friday morning c they went out, and still remain out. On Monday ' one of the men came to town to interview the mine proprietors, with the view of trying to settle the matter, but Messrs Hazlett and Glendining had gone up to the mine the same day wirh a similar intention. We understand that some of the unions in town have promised to support the men in the matter of che preionfc dispute.

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