THE MINERS’ STRIKE

Southland Times, Issue 19311, 1 August 1924, Page 6

THE MINERS’ STRIKE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS STATEMENT FOR THE MEN THE NEGOTIATIONS REVIEWED. It is understood that prosecutions are pending in connection with the strike. A ballot was taken yesterday with reference to the present position.

THE MEN’S SIDE. STATEMENT BY EXECUTIVE. The following exclusive statement was made to a Southland Times reporter yesterday by the Miners’ Executive in connection with the present trouble: — “At a conference held between the owners and the men in April, an agreement was arrived at whereby the men agreed to a reduction of 5d per ton on condition that the companies took over the trucking of the miners’ coal. When the men commenced work under the agreement they found that 3fd was being charged in safety lamp mines for electric detonators, and that the Linton Company, instead of only having a decrease in the tonnage rate of 5d per ton had a decrease of lid per ton. Regarding pillar rates, we found that the difference between solid and pillar rates in the different mines was between 5d and 1/3J per ton, a rate that could not possibly be agreed to by practical men, considering the fact that the biggest difference between solid and pillar rates in the Dominion is 4d per ton.

“ The Linton men, with the local secretary, asked the Linton directors for a conference. The position of the Linton men was put clearly and concisely before the directors of the Linton Company, and the directors told the delegates that they could not do anything in the matter, and that the dispue would have to be referred to the Southland Coal Owners’ Association.

“The next trouble that arose was over payment for electric detonators in safety lamp mines. The conference arranged between the miners and the Owners’ Association was held in Invercargill early in July to try to bring about a settlement of the detonator question. That conference proved abortive, owing to the owners not seeing their way clear to give any concession in regard to payment for electrjcal detonators. It has always been the custom in this district for the men working in safety lamp mines to have the electric detonators supplied by the different companies free of charge, and naturally the men who represented the miners at the April conference thought that the companies would continue to comply with the prevailing custom. At a meeting held in Ohai on the Wednesday night following the conference held in Invercargill, the men (considering that the Union had used every means in its power to bring about an amicable settlement of the dispute) could see no other course open but to take drastic action to bring about the settlement. A conference was arranged between the delegates appointed by the Union and the Owners’ Association, represented by Mr Bishop, at Nightcaps on July 17, when 27 points were put before the owners for discussion. Mr Bishop said that the owners were not prepared to discuss anything on which a complete agreement had been reached at the April conference. Eventually, the miners’ delegates confined their demands to five points in order to bring about a settlement. The five points in dispute were:—

(1) The charge for electric detonators. (2) Pillar question. (3) The Linton tonnage rates. (4) Interpretation of Clause 30 (the trucking clause). (5) The ventilation clause, which states: “In the event of any miner having to leave his place during working hours through fire damp, noxious gases or any other cause, he shall be found work elsewhere in the mine. Failing being found work, he shall be paid for time lost.”

When the conference resumed after the luncheon adjournment, the owners stated that they were prepared to.discuss clauses 1,2, and 4 of the men’s demands. The miners’ delegates asked for an adjournment to discuss the question. The delegates arrived at this decision—that considering that we had already modified our demands-considerably, we were not prepared to go on with the conference unless the owners were prepared to discuss the five points in dispute. Mr Bishop stated on behalf of the owners that he was sorry, but that the owners did not feel inclined to discuss any of the points in dispute other than 1,2, and 4. The spokesman of the miners indicated that the miners’ delegates had gone to the conference with a direct mandate from the Union, and therefore the •onference had reached a deadlock. The conference then terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman, Mr Knuggs.

“The National Secretary of the Miners’ Federation arrived in Nightcaps on Friday, July 18, and he sent a telegram to Mr Bishop asking if the owners would agree to resume negotiations that night at the point where the discussion closed on ’ the Thursday. At a meeting of the men held at Ohai on the Friday a telephone message was received from Mr Bishop to the National Secretary asking him to go to the ’phone in Mr Whittlestone’s office. Mr Bishop stated that he was quite agreeable to the conference being resumed in Invercargill that night, providing that the men gave the assurance that unless that conference reached an absolute deadlock, the men would go to work on the Monday morning. After a good deal of discussion amongst the men, that course was agreed to, and two men, along with the National Secretary, the President and Secretary of the District Union, were appointed to go to Invercargill and meet the owners at 7.30 that night, the Union of course paying all its own expenses. The conference duly met in Cuthbertson & Webb’s rooms in Invercargill. The owners at first refused to discuss the Linton rates. It was intimated to the owners by the delegates from the Miners’ Union that unless the owners agreed to discuss the Linton rates, there was no. use going any further with the conference. The owners asked for an adjournment of half an hour to discuss the question. When the conference resumed the owners intimated that they were prepared to discuss the Linton tonnage rates. After a discussion on all the points at issue, which lasted till about nearly two in the morning, the owners delivered their verdict, which comprised 2d per ton increase in the safety lamp mines in lieu of the detonators, 6d per ton less solid rates for pillars in all mines and the interpretation of Clause 30 (the trucking clause) to be left in the hands of Mr O’Rourke and Mr Bishop, and the custom prevailing on the West Coast in regard to the trucking clause to be made operative in the Southland district.

“ The owners agreed to treat every case of a man having to leave his place through fire-damp or any other clause on its merits, and gave the assurance that work would be found for any man so situated. The owners asked if we would put an alternative trucking clause before the men in place of Clause 30. We stated that we had no power to discuss any trucking clause, but that we were prepared to put any alternative proposal that the owners cared to give us before the men. The conference then terminated.

“At an informal discussion on the street, one of the miners’ delegates suggested going back to the conference and trying to get 2d per ton on the Linton rates, and a modification of the trucking clause as submitted by the owners. The owners agreed to give 2d per ton. on the Linton rates providing that the companies’ trucking clause was agreed to. The conference then finally terminated.

“At a meeting of men held on Sunday night, July 20, the agreement as arrived at between the delegates and the owners was placed before over 200 men. The meeting decided that they would retain Clause 30 of the agreement and refused to accept the 2d per ton that was granted to the Linton

men if the men in the district had to accept the owners’ trucking clause. All the other points in dispute were accepted on condition that the owners agreed to a conference on Monday afternoon regarding the pillar rates. At a conference on the Friday night Mr Bishop intimated his intention of going north on Saturday morning by the early train, and the question was asked Mr Bishop that failing an absolute deadlock if the local Owners’ Association would be prepared to go on with the conference on Monday. Mr Bishop referred the matter to Mr Crawford, Chairman of the Owners’ Association in Invercargill, and the local owners intimated that, providing the men were at work on Monday morning, they (the owners) were prepared (on advice from the secretary of the Nightcaps Union) to go on with the conference on Monday afternoon. The delegates of the Miners’ Union sent a wire to the secretary of the Owners’ Association, Invercargill, intimating that the men had accepted the agreement arrived at with the exception of the pillar clause on which they wanted more discussion. The owners apparently did not feel inclined to grant a conference. On the Monday night the miners’ delegates ’ interviewed one of the local owners from Nightcaps, and a conference was arranged to take place at Invercargill at 3.30 on Tuesday, the miners again paying their own expenses. Greatly to the surprise of the miners’ delegates, the chairman of the local coal-owners intimated to the delegates that unless the miners of the Nightcaps district accepted the owners’ trucking clause, the whole of the agreement arrived at on the Friday would be repudiated. The delegates produced Mr Bishop’s own handwriting of the terms of settlement of the dispute which stated that the only thing that hinged on the acceptance or rejection of the trucking clause was the 2d per ton increase granted by the Owners’ Association on behalf of the Linton Coal Company. The clause put before the delegates which stated that miners shall truck their coal a distance of four chains; 4d of the 5d reduction agreed to by the miners to be restored; 4Ad per ton per chain to be paid over 4 chains. An adjournment was then asked for by the miners’ delegates in order to place before the conference the miners’ trucking proposal which stated miners shall truck their coal 2 chains; 4d of the 5d reduction to be restored 2d per ton per chain up to 4 chains and 44d per ton per chain after 4 chains. The owners asked for an adjournment to discuss the miners’ trucking clause, and when the conference resumed the owners definitely stated that they were not prepared to concede any modification of their trucking clause.”