COAL STRIKE

Southland Times, Issue 21728, 14 June 1932, Page 6

COAL STRIKE

POSITION LOCALLY REDUCTION IN COSTS SOUGHT STATEMENT BY OWNERS The coal strike in Southland is reviewed as follows in a statement issued yesterday by the secretary (Mr G. Tinker) on behalf of the Southland Coalmine Owners’ Association:— "The strike which has occurred in the Ohai district is purely a sympathy strike, dictated to the local union by the council of the New Zealand Miners’ Federation. Prior to the strike no trouble had occurred in the Ohai field, nor had there been any discussion between the union and the Mine Owners’ Association with reference to working conditions or rates of pay. “The conditions under which miners work in the Southland coal mines are equal to, if not better than, conditions existing in any other field in the Dominion. So far as rates of pay are concerned, the coal-hewing rates in Southland are, by a large margin, the highest in New Zealand; it is claimed, indeed, that they are the highest in the world. Up to the time of the strike no suggestion of any alterations in working conditions or rates of pay had been made to the local union, nor had it been intended at the present time to make any alteration.

“In these circumstances the miners have elected to go out on strike. The miners employed in the Linton Company's mine are bound by the terms of an agreement having the force of an award. They have chosen, however, to treat this as a mere ‘scrap of paper’ and break their contract. “After the miners went out the Owners’ Association immediately offered to meet them in conference, provided that they resumed work. To that offer no reply has been received and that offer still remains open. The position at the moment, therefore, is that the miners have stopped work in the complete absence of any dispute with their employers. “At the meeting of the Southland Coalmine Owners’ Association held on Saturday the whole positon was considered, and it was decided that working conditions and hewing rates be immediately reviewed with a view to reducing mining costs. It was mentioned that in some of the mines in the district the average earnings of miners amounted to from 34/ -to 36/- per day in spite of last year’s 10 per cent, reduction. Substantial reductions have already been made in the retail price of coal, but the 10 per cent, reduction in wages last year has contributed in only a very small degree to these reductions, the bulk of which has been borne by the coal companies. The position now is that if any further reduction is to be made possible in the price of coal, it is absolutely essential that hewing rates should be reduced to a reasonable level, and irksome restrictions in connection with working conditions eliminated. “As previously mentioned the Mine Owners’ Association has already offered to meet the miners in conference provided that they resume work in the meantime.” MINERS’ ATTITUDE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION SOUGHT. NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS. (Per United Press Association.) Greymouth, June 13. Mr W. Purdy, secretary of the West Coast Council, has forwarded the following telegram to the Minister of Mines, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan: "The conciliatory attitude of the miners is evidently not appreciated by the Government, which remains indifferent to the miners’ and the public’s request for Government intervention.” Mr Purdy has received a reply from the Hon. G. W. Forbes stating that he is conferring with Mr Macmillan regarding the miners’ representations for an unconditional conference. There were no district developments to-day. It is understood the New Zealand miners have cabled to Britain for financial assistance in the event of the conference being refused and a prolonged stoppage. Replying to Mr Purdy’s telegram, the Minister of Mines states: “Replying to your telegram of to-day, I am advised that the coalowners agreed several weeks ago to a conference with the representatives of the West Coast coalminers’ unions and I have no doubt such conference will be held at a convenient date. As there is no dispute between the West Coast coal owners and unions, recommend you to urge miners to resume work under the existing conditions in the interests of all concerned and in view of conciliatory attitude of the miners I hope the suggestion will be carried out.” MINERS’ OFFER WILL HOLD CONFERENCE ANYWHERE. Greymouth, June 13. The coal position is unaltered. All the union mines remain idle. The miners’ district secretary, Mr W. Purdy, stated that the indications were that the coal owners did not desire a conference, but only to impose their demands, whilst the Government was apparently shelving the issue regarding the conference which Mr Purdy considers the public, as well as the miners, favour. “The employers evidently would bleed us white,” Mr Purdy declared, "as the attitude they adopt is calculated to drive the miners into a position where they cannot negotiate. If they won’t meet the West Coast Council, we will confer with the owners either at Huntly, Southland or here, but we believe the West Coast the proper place for the conference. The other districts meantime are working, like the Coast, under the old agreement.” NO CHANGE THE POSITION AT WESTPORT. Westport, June 13. The position regarding the coal crisis is unchanged. Approximately 2000 tons of coal are in the railway yards with the co-operative miners still working, and coal is also being drawn from the companies’ bins. There is quite a volume of opinion here that the Government, in the interests of the third party, the general public, should intervene with a view to effecting a speedy settlement of the dispute. PLEA FOR CONFERENCE LABOUR PARTY’S STATEMENT. Wellington, June 13. Replying to Mr T. O. Bishop’s denial that the owners had refused the new proposals, the National Executive of the New Zealand Labour Party states that there is apparently some conflict between the mine-owners themselves and Mr Bishop. The main point of the Labour Party’s statement was that the conference should be held to discuss all the prob-

lems without entering into a controversy as to the question of rationing work, minimum wages and balloting to determine who is to stand down. The Labour Party’s point was that the conference should be held at once and that every question relative to employment in the mining industry should be the subject of discussion and negotiation at the conference and the Labour Party urged that in the public Interest either the Government or the mine-owners should call an unconditional conference at once.