WEST COAST MINES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3885, 28 August 1928, Page 48

WEST COAST MINES.

A “SYMPATHY” STOPPAGE. PROTEST AGAINST PROSECUTION. [( GREYMOUTH, August 21. A sympathy ” stoppage has been arranged by the West Coast mines for to-morrow, v.hen the men will refuse work as an expression of sympathy wit-n the Denniston men, who are to be prosecuted by the Labour Department at Westport to-morrow for allegediv instigating an unlawful strike. DENNISTON UNION PENALISED. WESTPORT, August-22. At the Magistrate’s Court this morning the Deuniston Miners Union was found guilty of a breach of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913. in respect to a strike at the Cascade (Westport Coal Company’s) mine, and fined £l5 and costs. The action was brought by the inspector of awards. A strike took place on May 18, and the unionists have been out ever since, although a co-operative party has been working the mine during this period. The employment of the co-operative party along with the unionists was primarily the cause of the strike of unionists at the Cascade mine. They arc members of the Denniston Miners’ Union. The Cascade mine has been open only for about eight months. TROUBLE AT BRIANDALE COLLIERY. GREYMOUTH, August 23. Thirty to 40 miners, members of th<? State Miners’ Union, who are employed at the Briandale Colliery, refused work following a dispute over the dismissal of three men whom the management regarded as inefficient.

CO-OPERATIVE PARTIES. GREY MOUTH, August 23. A conference, held at Paparoa, between representatives of the Tribute arty now working the mine there, and representatives of the Alliance of Labour, resulted in the tributors being no longer declared “ black,” but being put on the same footing as the other West Coast co-operative parties. A conference is to be held between representatives of all cooperative parties with the Alliance of Labour to arrange fo r a comprehensive agreement.