COALMINING DEADLOCK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14986, 13 August 1919, Page 5

COALMINING DEADLOCK.

CONFERENCE FAILS TO SETTLE

DISPUTE.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, last night. The conference whiph has been sitting, for a fortpight over" the coal miners" dispute ended to-day. without meeting with a settlement.

On Saturday the coal-owners made an offer to the Miners'. Federation represeiitatiyes of 10 per cent, increase to contract workers who are chiefly miners workingson coal at the face, and 15 per cent, to shifj; wages men, the percentages to be on the pre-war rates and payable as an increased bonus.

To this; offer the. Federation replied yesterday with a set of counter-pro-posals. In these they asked the same 1 wages for all mine workers, other than face men as they ' had asked the first time. For face workers and others not specified they asked an increase of 25 per cent, m rates, the same to be permanent additions to wages and not pay-. able by way of bonus. ' The coal-owners replied to-day that they cannot increase the. first offer. An appeal was made by Mr. Alison, on behalf of the coal-owners, to the Federation to recommend- the uniois to accent the offer, and to remain at work m. view- of the very serious position of the /country .through " lack of coal at present. /The. Federation represent icivos withdrew to consider the matter, but, on their return, informed the; owners that they could not recommend the union ' to accept. They then left the room, and the conference ended. i (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, . this day. The miners' representatives explain that their refusal to accept the mineowners' offer was due , to the fact that on wages alone it did .not bring the ; miner to a pre-war standard of comfort. 1 The cost of living has increased 52 to 56 per cent. The offer by the. owners -would, still leave the wages' of miners 20 per cent, lower, and those of day .rate workfirs 10 per cent, less, compared with pre-war conditions. The owners' proposal to bar the unions from applying for a further readjustment .' of conditions before the expiry of the agreement is, the delegates contned, contrary to the Arbitration Act amendment directing the, court to adjust wages m accordance with variations m the cost' of living. The position of some small unions m the Federation would, under the owners' offer, be 25 to 30 per cent, worse than before the war. •Regarding working conditions the company-owned mines refused to grant improvements which the State mines are operating to-day. The miners cannot agree to recommend Australian miners to come to New Zealand', because • the Australian conditions are much superior. /'- As to future developments,, it appears as if the parties have .not altogether abandoned the attempt at' settlement. The miners have withdrawn the demand that' all hewing be -done on day rate, to which the owners so strenuously objected. - ' , The Miners' Federation delegates remain m Wellington to-day, and further developments are likely to occur at an early date.