STRIKE AT KAITANGATA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 12

STRIKE AT KAITANGATA.

TRUCKERS TAKE ACTION.

A DISMISSED COMRADE.

WORK AGAIN RESUMED. (Fbom Ovb Special Repokteb.)

JIAITAJNUATA, August 11. On Saturday afternoon the undermajiager of the Kaitangata coal mine reported a trucker named Allan Whittaker for leaving his place in the mine without permission, and the management, after taking his case into consideration, decided that, in view of the fact that the trucker was unsuitable, he be dismissed, and he was accordingly paid off. Whittaker was a member of the afternoon shift, and when at 3 o'clock on Monday the other truckers belonging to that shift assembled at the pit bottom and learned of the action taken by the management against one of their number, they refused in a body to go to work. They said they did not consider the reason given by the management for the dismissal of Whittaker sufficient, and they declared their intention of remaining out until such time as he was reinstated. In consequence of the deadlock the shift was not worked, and miners and truckers returned home. Considerable inconvenience was caused by the drivers leaving their horses standing and going out with

the other men.

In the evening a mass meeting of truckers was held, and it was resolved unanimou&ly that the decision come to at the pit bottom be upheld. The executive of the Miners' Union, it may be stated, did not view the action of the truckers with any favour, and, while taking up an entirely neutral attitude as between masters and men, did its utmost to persuade the latter from continuing the strike. Messrs Carson and M'Alxster, manager and under-manager respectively, were present at the truckers' meeting, and they also endeavoured to dissuade the men from following out the course they had adopted, and the manager went go far as to promise that were Whittaker to come to him in a proper spirit and apply for reinstatement he would give the caee full and just consideration. The truckers were, however, obdurate. It is stated that the management officials received a lengthy statement of their wrongs at the hands- of ihp meeting, which reaffirmed its determination to remain out as long as Whittaker was not reinstated.

Thus the meeting ended, and this morning at 7 o'clock, when the morning shift came on duty, there was some curioeity apparent as to what action the truckers on that shift would take. The latter all turned up and went to work, with the exception of four or five, who had decided to stand in with the truckers of the afternoon shift. When this shift came off duty at 3 o'clock the truckers who had worked were met by those who had not, and a lengthy argument ensued. Only one trucker and one drh'er went on duty with the afternoon shift, and the management filled their places by taking miners from the face and putting them on trucking and paying tfrem shift wages instead of piece rates. This decreased the output of coal, and created some amount of disorganisation, tmfc it allowed all the non-strikers to secure employment and earn a day's wage.

This evening nearly all the truckers employed in the Kaitangata and Castle Hill mines made a demonstration to the number of about 90. They formed up near the Post Office, and marched; in. a body to Burrell's Hall, where a mass meeting was held behind closed doors. The decision arrived at the previous evening was again unanimously reaffirmed, and the truckers resolved that it be communicated in person to Mr Robert Lee, the general manager pf {he Kaitangata Qoal Company, who arrived from Orepuki about 8 o'clock.

Mr Lee was called in, and. heard the lads' decision. Then he talked frankly to them. He told them they all paid their subscriptions to the unjon, which existed for the redress of the miners' grievances, and he wanted to know why they took the extraordinary action they

did when it was patent that their proper course of action was to lay the matter before the executive of the Miners' Union. He told them that ,they had taken a foolish and unjust step," and one that threatened to involve the whole industrial machinery of Kaitangata in disorganisation. He said he was not prepared to go into the matter of their rights and their grievances in the absence of the mine manager, and he would not for a moment consider the advisability of reinstating Whittaker unless they returned to work the following morning, and appointed a deputation of truckers to "co-operate with the miners' executive, and meet him and discuss the prasent matter with him. Then if by these means they could not arrive at an amicable settlement, it would be time to talk about striking. Mr L&e argued his points in a courteous and happy manner, and the truckers were evidently impressed with what he had to say. When he retired it was Tesolved, by a small majority, that the previous resolutions approving of the strike be rescinded, and that a deputation be appointed to confer with Mr Lee, and, in the event of no settlement satisfactory to them being arrived at, to strike; in the meantime the truckers to resume work.

It was also resolved that the truckers themselves pay to Whittaker duriD|g hjs period of enforced idleness the wages he would have otherwise received.

The truckers meeting terminated after 11 o'clock. It appears that Whittaker was employed to truck in a place near where one of the fires in the mine is burning, and where smoke and steam are thick, and where water lies deep underfoot. One trucker had already refused to work there, and was given employment elsewhere, but when Whittaker refused to carry out duty there he was dismissed. The management asserts, however, that his dismissal wa6 due more to unsuitability than to refusal to work. Miners here view the so-called strike with much disfavour. They say that Whittaker was not a unionist, and this was true, for he joined only last night. They also state that the miners would suffer most in the event of a prolonged deadlock, for, while they are mostly married men with fanaities, the majority of the truckers are beardless boys. If the truckers^ had a grievance they should ha.ye ventilated it through the proper channels -3-viz., the Minei's' Union Committee. While the truckers are boys who could clear out and 50 evade fines for breaches of the Arbitration Court award, the miners are forced to remain in Kaitangata and bear the brunt of the trouble, if further trouble there be. It is stated, further, that while the truckers have undoubtedly suffered some injustice the present trouble is due more to a boyish love of excitement and the impulsiveness of a number of hot-blooded lads rather than to a wish to adopt means by which crying grievances may be redree&ed.

There is considerable relief in mining and business circles that the strike has ended, for no matter what the decision of the management may be it is not seriously expected that there will be a recrudescence of the trouble.