Coal -miners Want Five-day, 40-Hour Week.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 224, 2 September 1936, Page 7

Coal -miners Want Five-day, 40-Hour Week.

O Press Association —Copyright. Greymouth, September 1. The secretary of the National Council of United Mine Workers, Mr. A. McLagan, states that the council has requested the Coal Owners’ Association to institute a five-day 40-hour week in the coal industry from September 1. Coal hewers have worked a five-day week for years, so that only shiftmen, truckers and other day wage workers are affected.

The Miners’ Council is also seeking restoration by the coal owners of the weekly computation of the minimum wage in the West Coast district, pointing out that the owners immediately imposed a 10 per cent, reduction when the Arbitration Court order was made, owners generally having to be compelled to give full restoration. The Minister of Labour, fhe Hon. H. T. Armstrong, has assured the miners’ representatives that the Findii'cc Act provides - for The restoration* ofthe weekly u make-up -pr' 1 minimum. The owner? have been similarly advised but have not yet followed the lead of the Mines Department, which has restored the weekly make-up at the State mines. The Waikato disputes are being discussed this week at a conference at Huntly, while the Minors’ Council and the owners are discussing the Denniston trucking dispute.