COAL MINERS HOLD OUT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 569, 23 January 1929, Page 9

COAL MINERS HOLD OUT

NO WAGE REDUCTION PREMIER’S PROPOSAL REJECTED (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) SYDNEY, Tuesday. Efforts to rehabilitate the coal industry were begun to-day, but proved unsuccessful. The Premier of New South' Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, conferred with representatives of the Miners’ Federation. The proceedings were in camera. It is understood that the Premier proposed a reduction in wages at the rate of one shilling a ton, and a reduction in the selling price of coal by four shillings a ton. After three hours’ discussion the miners’ representatives rejected the Premier’s proposal, which thejr claimed would mean a 12| per cent, reduction on contract rates, and one shilling a ton on wages rate. As an alternative the miners* representatives proposed that there should be a complete inquiry into the ramifications of the coal industry. This, they contended, would open the. way for the rehabilitation of the industry. Mr. Bavin replied that there was no hope of such an inquiry unless the miners accepted reduced rates of pay. The conference broke up, leaving the position unaltered. The Cabinet to-day decided to discontinue making relief grants to the unemployed miners at Broken Hill and a sub-committee was appointed to ascertain whether the idle mines there can be reopened w r ith the co-operation of the miners. If not the Government proposes to discourage the miners from remaining there wasting their time and living on doles which are not economic.

TIMBER AWARD FLOUTED

DISPUTE STILL UNSETTLED (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) MELBOURNE, Tuesday. Further attempts were made to-day to settle the dispute in the timbermilling industry. However, both sides are waiting for Mr. Justice Lukin’s final pronouncement to-morrow upon certain details of his award. Messages from Hobart and other States say the employees are all flouting the award and are working only 44 hours a week. DE RIVERA’S WAY WORK OR BE DEPORTED (Australian and N.Z. Press AssociationJ MADRID, Monday. The Prime Minister of Spain, General Primo de Rivera, who is visitiiu? Barcelona, did not take long to end a strike of 2,000 workers at an international exhibition. He had a notie© posted up on Saturday stating that if the men were not working on Monday they would be deported. Only 12 of the men failed to return to work. To-day seven of the ringleaders were arrested.