BRITISH MINE TROUBLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 687, 12 June 1929, Page 9

BRITISH MINE TROUBLES

MEN TO DEMAND NATIONAL AGREEMENT AWKWARD" FOR MACDONALD (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 9 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. With the expiry of the district coalfields agreements at the end of the year, the Miners’ Federation is expected to demand a national agreement and a national minimum wage, creating an awkward situation for the MacDonald Government. The miners’ secretary, Mr. A. J. Cook, in an article in the “Weekly Miner,” states that the miners voted solidly for the repeal of the Eight Hours Act, the new compensation and minimum-wage Acts, and nationalisation of the mines. “I feel sure that the Labour .Government will not betray its trust; but the Government must have a chance, seeing that it has not got a clear majority. The Labour Party is pledged to move in the first session the repeal of the Eight Hours Act.” Mr. Cook has joined the Independent Labour Party. The Labour correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that if the mine-owners refuse a national agreement the miners will appeal to the Government. Yesterday the Conciliation Board met to discuss a fresh agreement for South Wales, but the delegates representing the men refused to enter iifto another district agreement without consulting the Miners’ Federation. The meeting accordingly was adjourned. Otherwise a conciliatory spirit prevailed. The problem of the future of the coalmines will be foremost at the conference of the Miners’ Federation at Blackpool, in the middle of July. The repeal of the Eight Hours Day Act will then be urged upon the GovernmenL