WORK TO RESUME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17108, 14 November 1929, Page 11

WORK TO RESUME

COAL STRIKE SETTLED UNION’S DEMAND GRANTED (Per Press Association.J GREYMOUTH, last night. Following quickly upon the decision yesterday of the organised miners on, the West Coast iields to strike in support of the Blackball union’s stand against the employment of non-unionist engine drivers at the Blackball mine, t|e trouble was settled to-day. There is genera! satisfatcion at this result, as the stoppage had involved almost 2500 in the Buller and Grey districts. The settlement came unexpectedly early, as the result of the intervention ot the Blackball mine directorate. Today Mr. W. Gibson, the new secretarydirector of tlie' company, arrived in Blackball, and there was a hurried call tor a ‘conference between the eftjeutive of the Miners’ Union and representatives of the company, Messrs. Gibson and W. Baronage, mine manager, and Thompson.

Tlie conference proved an amicable one, the outcome being that the miners’ demands were agreed to, with the result that unionist engine drivers are now in charge of the haulage engines and the generating plant, while the non-unionist engine drivers’ services have been dispensed with. The result of the conference was notified to the West Coast Miners’ Council secretary, Mr. B-D McGregor, at Millerton, who immediately telegraphed tlie whole of the unions as follows : “The cause of the stoppage has been removed, the twb engine drivers being discharged. 1 suggest, that all mines resume work immediately.”

The result is that work will be resumed to-morrow at all the Buller mines and at the State mines. At the Blackball mine tho shift men resume tomorrow. and the miners on Monday. The Dobson and Wallsend mines are also resuming work to-morrow. The news that the trouble at Blackball had been settled was received with rejoicing, as the people were looking forward to a. particularly bright Christmas.