VEXATIOUS DELAYS AT MINES

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 37

VEXATIOUS DELAYS AT MINES

OWNERS' ASSOCIATION'S DEMANDS. WELLINGTON, April 16. The serious position which has arisen as the result of numerous sectional disputes at the various coal mines throughout the dominion was considered at a meeting of the Coal Mine Owners' Association held at Wellington yesterday. . The following motion was carried unanimously : That the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association, having regard to the frequent stoppages of work which have taken place at the various mines, in absolute definanec of the agreement entered into with tho Miners' Federation Executive in September last, hereby determines that, as these continual breaches of the agreement are evidence of the federation s inability or unwillingness to enforce the agreement, the association now finally demands .that the federation executive should carry out its undertakings. FEDERATION NOT WHOLLY TO BLAME. WELLINGTON, April 17. Acknowledging tho receipt of a copy of the resolution of the New Zealand Coal Owners' Association relating to stoppages of work at the different mines. Mr J. Glover, secretary of the New Zealand Coal. Gold, State, Quarry, and Tunnel Workers' Federation, says, in a letter to the former association: —"I would like to point out that the fault is not wholly on the part of my organisation, as in several instances stoppages have been caused through certain coal-owners affected refusing to abide by tho September agreement, and in other cases by the pin-pricking _ and irritating methods they have adopted in dealing with their employees, in ono or two instances even refusing to meet them to discuss local grievances. I shall be pleased to reply more fully when the matter has been considered by my executive