TROUBLE AT MILLERTON

Otago Witness, Issue 3395, 9 April 1919, Page 22

TROUBLE AT MILLERTON

MILLERTON MEN DISSATISFIED. WESTPORT, March 27. The Millerton (Granity) coal miners struck this morning. The mine is competely idle. The Millerton correspondent of the Westport Times alleges that the men have substantial grievances for many months past. At a stop-work meeting this morning Mr Davidson (president) and Mr Williams (secretary) addressed the men. It was"'rosolved to send a deegation to the local .manager, who is available at Granity. The interview was resultless, and a strike was immediately declared. The dispute is over the question whether the miners are to be paid a shift for trucking (if they have to do any trucking) addition to their miners' wages. It is understood that the contention of the -company is that the miners are required under their agreement to truck a certain distance, but that the miners refuse to do any trucking at all unless they are also paid for the truclung. March 28. In reference to the Millerton d.'spute, the management explains that the miners are supposed to truck, if required, for 22 yards. If they have to go beyond that distance they receive an allowance, as provided for under the agreement. The miners now refuse to truck over that distance unless they get full shift truckers' rates. April 5. There is no sign of settlement in regard to the Millerton strike. Mr M'George, one of the directors of the company, arrived last evening to see into the trouble. The Komata's trip here next week has been abandoned owing to the shortage of coal through mine troubles. CASE FOR THE UNION. WESTPORT, March 31. As the causes of the trouble at present existing at Millerton have been misconstrued and false impressions created, a representative of tho Westport Times interviewed Mr_ W. Davidson, president of the Miners' Union, and got the following information in connection with the matter: —The demands of the miners at Millerton are greatly misunderstood. The facts are that the miners have usually made personal arrangements with the managers, to the detriment of the miners in general. Heretofore the custom prevailing at the Millerton mine in connection with trucking has been very unsatisfactory, in so far as the men were required to come out from two to four hours per day. The miners desired that all arrangements in regard to working the mine that needed readjustment should be submitted to the management through their representatives. The management insist that they should be empowered to make arrangements in regard to payments, etc., in connection Avith matters not provided for in the agreement at present in operation between the company and the union. The union maintain that all the arrangements should be made, not by individual members of the union, but directly through the activities of the union. Every miner at Millerton is prepared to truck providing he is kept at that particular employment for the whole of the shift. They do not wish to dictate to the employers as. to the amount of work they should do. The miners' demands simply amount to the following:— Agreements to be made between the union and the company and not by individual members, a practice which has prevailed and has been entirely unsatisfactory. The miners, if required to leave the face, are prepared to do so for the period of the shift. The action of the miners relieves the pressure under which the company is smarting through a shortage of truckers. Every miner is prepared to do full shifts at trucking. Word from Millerton this morning states that the men arc still out. The Westport Coal Company output last week was 5580 tons. Tho Stockton output was nil.

THE STOCKTON MEN. WELLINGTON, April 2. A message from Westport on Monday stated that the output of coal from the Stockton mine last week was nil. The secretary of the company states that this is incorrect, the output bein# 2400 tons. He further states that work at the mine is proceeding as usual. BREACH OF AGREEMENT ALLEGED. Mr W. A. Flavell, general manager of the Westport Coal Company, stated yesterday afternoon that at a conference last September an arrangement was come to whereby "any. dispute that might arise should bo referred to a District Disputes Committee, _ and, failing that step, to a National Disputes Committee, before any cessation of work. Consequently, any stoppage of work was a distinct breach of the agreement. Mr Flavell added that lie did not know of any grievance.