MINE CLOSED

Southland Times, Issue 23001, 22 September 1936, Page 7

MINE CLOSED

King Solomon Dispute

A FORTY-HOUR WEEK DEMANDED COMPANY’S SURPRISE MOVE On account of the failure of negotiations between the management of the King Solomon deep lead mine and the employees on the question of the hours of work, the company decided yesterday to close the mine until a settlement of the dispute is reached. On being advised of the company’s decision, the Miners’ Union decided to withdraw the men operating the pumps for draining the mine, and this work, which involves continuous attendance, will devolve on the mine manager and the foreman. It is understood that any stoppage of the pumps would probably mean the wrecking of the mine. A brief statement issued by the company last night read: “Owing to labour troubles the King Solomon deep lead mine is closed in the meantime ”

The dispute on the question of hours arose a few days before the end of last month, when the miners made application to the manager fbr a 40-hour week. The company communicated with the Department of Labour to ascertain the position of the miners under the recent labour legislation, and the official advice received from the department stated that as the mining industry was not subject to the Factories Act and the men were not subject to an award, their position was unchanged. The miners recently decided to form a union with a view to applying for an award, but some delay has occurred in securing registration. Stop-work Meeting. On Friday, September 4, the miners called a stop-work meeting to consider the ruling of the Labour Department. The meeting decided that for the future the miners would work a five-day week of 40 hours and that work would cease at the conclusion of the third shift at midnight that night until midnight on Sunday night. A previous report on the dispute contained a statement by the mine manager (Mr R. C. Ruffin) that he received no official notification of the decision of the men not to work on Saturdays. This statement was made in error, and Mr Ruffin has authorized that it be corrected. The miners have since that time worked a 40-hour week, and the mine has been idle on Saturdays. The company referred the dispute to the Minister of Labour for a ruling, but it is understood that no reply has yet been received.

The miners held a lengthy meeting on Sunday, but no decisions were reached and a stop-work meeting was called for yesterday afternoon. At the conclusion of the meeting the manager was advised that the men were not prepared to resume a 48-hour week, whereupon the manager informed the men that he was instructed by the company to close the mine pending a settlement of the dispute. Pump Attendants Withdrawn. After consultation the miners informed the manager that they would withdraw the pump attendants. The secretary of the Miners’ Union (Mr R. S. Rogers) stated last night that the decision of the men in favour of continuing a 40-hour week was unanimous, and he described the action of the company as the declaration of a lockout. When the question of negotiations between the miners and the company was discussed with Mr Rogers, he said that the men had been quite willing to meet the directors in conference at the mine for the last three weeks, but the directors had not been prepared to come to the mine and had demanded that the meeting be held at Gore. The men considered that they would be entitled to expenses in travelling to Gore, but this had not been offered, although the manager had stated that he thought expenses would be paid when the question was raised. The men were still willing to meet the directors at the mine at any time. The attitude of the company on this point is understood to be that the registered office of the company is located at Gore. Two of the directors would require to travel 40 miles from Invercargill to Gore, and it is contended that no hardship is imposed on the miners in requesting their representatives to meet the directors at Gore. All meetings of directors are held at Gore. Company Springs Surprise. # The impression gained from a discussion with the miners’ representatives last night was that the action of the company had taken the men by surprise. Officials of the company deny that a lock-out has been declared; they contend that the position has been created through the attitude of the men to work a 40-hour week in defiance of the ruling of the Labour Department that a 48-hour week should be worked.

Several weeks ago the chairman of directors (Mr Henry Smith) issued a statement that owing to the low returns obtained during recent months the cash reserves of the company had been seriously depleted and the future of the mine was indefinite. In the first statement made by officials of the company when the present dispute arose it was stressed that the shortening of hours reduced the output of the mine by approximately one-sixth, while certain fixed charges for salaried employees, pump attendants and electric power for pumping continued and the increased proportion of such costs to the output was consequently viewed with considerable concern.