COAL MINES’ DISPUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17820, 1 July 1932, Page 4

COAL MINES’ DISPUTE

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED BALLOTS TO BE HELD TO-DAY OWNERS’ FINAL OFFER (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. After sitting for three days, the conference between the Northern Goal Mine Owners’, Association .and the Northern Miners’ Union came to an end at 4.30 p.m. to-day, without reaching a mutual decision. The miners’ delegates will return to Huntly in the morning with the owners’ final terms, which will be submitted to the men for approval or rejection by ballot. The result of the ballot.is to be known on Saturday night. Prior to the re-opening of the conference to-day, the miners ’ delegates met to consider certain amended terms offered by the owners. They reported their decision to the owners at .11 a.m., intimating, it is understood, their willingness to accept some of tho clauses, but offered counter proposals wth respect to the remainder. The owners met separately at 2 p.m. to consider tho counter-proposals, and at 3 p.m., when both parties came finally together, the owners presented what they termed their final offer, which they requested should be submitted to the unions at the earliest moment.

In response to tho owners’ request tho men’s delegates agreed to submit their final terms to a ballot of members of the union, and give the owners an answer to-morrow night. THE RIGHT OF DISMISSAL

The men’s delegates will proceed to Huntly in the morning, and on their arrival at a meeting of the Huntly miners will be held to hear the delegates’ report and receive the owners’ amended terms. Similar meetings will be held at the mines on Saturday, a ballot being taken in each ease. Mr. A. McLngan, national secretary of the United Mine Workers’ Union, will accompany the men’s delegates to Huntly instead of returning to Wellington. At the conclusion of the conference the Ilikuraifgi owners’ and miners’ delegates held a separate meeting to consider special clauses relating, particularly to the conditions pertaining to shaft mining as distinct from drive mining, the character of the Hilcurangi and Huntly mines differing in that respect. The meeting concluded at 6 p.m. A ballot will be held at Hikurangi on the main issues similar to that to be taken at Huntly. One of tho clauses included in the owners’ final terms is that intended to give the mine managers unrestricted right to engage and dismiss men. In its final form, this clause, which is one of the principal bones of contention, appears in a slightly amended form, the word “unrestricted” being replaced by “absolute,” so that tho clause now reads, “The manager of every mine shall have the absolute right to engage and discharge men at his own discretion.”