COAL MINERS’ DEMANDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15456, 26 February 1921, Page 3

COAL MINERS’ DEMANDS.

INCLUDE SIX-HOUR DAY AND FIVE-DAY' WEEK. PAYMENT FOR~HOLIDAYS AND TIME LOST. j WELLINGTON, this day. | Tbo demands for a new agreement made by the Miners’ Federation have been considered by the executive of the Mine-owners’ Association. lhe latter, in replv, draw particular attention to the inclusion of the following points: (1) Abolition of the contract system; (2) six-hour day, bank to bank; (3) five-day | week; (4) abolition of the afternoon 1 shift; (5) payment for holidays; (6) pay-1 ment for time lost (minimum weekly wage). . It is pointed out that these claims were considered at conferences held in | August, 1919, and February, 1920. Tho ; employers then took up the position j that they were so revolutionary and farfetched,‘and would result, if granted, in such a great increase in the price of coal to the general public, that unless withdrawn by the federation, the employers would not proceed to a conference. They were finally withdrawn, and the conference proceeded. Since February of last year nothing has happened to warrant the proposals being again broujfht forward. Indeed the contrary was the case. Similar demands have not been conceded by the Australian coal mine-owners. Again, tho Broken Hill strike arose oyer insistence on similar demands, which were adversely reported upon by a special Government tribunal. In the face of these facts, the executive decided that until the particular demands are withdrawn it would be both unfair to the general public arid-useless to enter into any discussion with the federation. If tho demands were withdrawn tho executive would bo pleased to arrange a conference at the earliest possible date. The bolding of tbo conference would not necessarily mean that tho owners were prepared to enter into a new national agreement. The owners consider tho results of the working of the national agreement unsatisfactorily, and that local and district agreements are the only solution, in view of the varied conditions of the New Zealand mines.—Press Assn,.