COAL STRIKE

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 24

COAL STRIKE

SINGER’S WORKS CLOSED. LONDON, June 16. Owing to the coal shortage, Singer’s Sewing Machine Company has given notice to 10,000 employees. The company will close down the works for an indefinite period on June 24. BIG MAJORITY FAVOUR STRIKE. LONDON, June 16. Thus far 325,000 miners have voted against acceptance and 128,000 for it. A feature of the voting immense number of abstentions. This is apparently due to the men’s disgust at the way in which the negotiations were handled, the absence of any advice from the leaders how to vote, and the desire to show other parties in the Triple Alliance that the miners are able to win alone. There were overwhelming majorities against acceptance in South Wales, Scotland, Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire ; but the returns from Yorkshire and Nottingham, where it is Lo.iieved the men favour a return to work, have not yet been received. June 17. Tlie miners, by a 70 per cent, vote, favoured the continuance of the strike. THE FEDERATION ENDANGERED LONDON, June 18: Only 64 per cent, of the miners voted. The Miners’ Executive will consider the situation to-night. The coal miners’ ballot has placed the Miners’ Executive in a dilemma. It expected an adverse vote, but not the twothirds majority required for a continuance of the strike. It refrained from giving the men a lead, desiring to throw upon the rank and file the responsibility of terminating the s.trike after their failure to secure a national pool. The solidarity of the federation is endangered, as many miners intend to resume work. The executive has notified the Government and th# coal owners that the stoppage will continue. ' i THREAT OF NATIONAL STRIKE, LONDON, July 18. Mr Lloyd George, in acknowledging Air Hodge s letter notifying the rejection of the terms and the continuance of the strike, said he regretted the miners’ decision, and notified the termination of the £10,000,000 offer an Sunday. The miners’ executive has decided to request tho executives of the various trades unions affected by the wages dispute to confer with a view to taking national strike action to secure their mutual demands. (Many of the miners in Notts, Warwickshire, and North Wales have decided to ignore the result of the ballot and resume work.