INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14235, 1 March 1917, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

minkrs- conference fails. try: terms rejected, seamen and shipowners also] DISAGREE; j (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The conference of coal mine owners mid the Miners' Federation ended abruptly to-day., after eight days of fruitless negotiations. No agreement was reached. „ Tho miners' demands were for a 17£ per cent increase on the present rate, whjiolii included a war bonus of 10 per cent or a total increase of 27£ per cent on pre-war rates, and this not a war bonus, but as a permanent addition to wages. The owners oifered an extra war bonus of 5 per cent to coal hewers and 7£ per cent to shift wages men, or a total war bonus of 15 per cont. and 17£ per cent. There were other demands by the miners which were refused,' but tho employers met them with certain other concessions m conditions. Ajl the .offers were rejected, and when the employers submitted their counter-proposals, instructing that this would be theiif last word, the federation delegates withdrew from the conference, saying that they would refer the matter to their unions, being confident that the unions would endorso their decision to reject the proposals. The employers offered concessions which would mean an addition of from £35,000 to £40,000 per year m tho oost of winning coal. If the men's demands had been granted it would have meant an increase on pre-war rates of not less than £180,000 per year. This and other increases and items of cost would, it is estimated, have meant an increase m the price of coal to the public of from 4s to 5s per ton. The seamen! and the shipowners have been m conference all day, but they have made no statement as to what occurred. It is understood that these parties also have failed to agree.