“NOT SEEKING TROUBLE”

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 5

“NOT SEEKING TROUBLE”

VIEWPOINT OF THE MINERS “MATTER A NATIONAL ONE” DESIRE FOR CONFERENCE UNION OFFICIAL HOPEFUL By Telegraph.—Frees Association. Greymouth, Last Night. The miners’ views of the coal dispute were given by Mr. W. Purdy, secretary of th® West Coast Council, who stated: "The action of the men in striking on the West Coast to-day is the result of a secret ballot taken some weeks ago, when the national organisation decided by two votes to one to take strike action to resist, if necessary, the owners’ terms. The West Coast is a unit of the national organisation, and as a result the breakdown of the negotiations in the North Island affects the whole organisation. The West Coast previously decided to resist the owners’ terms and offer reciprocal assistance to the North Island miners if necessary. The matter is a national, not a district, question. “This is the first time in my twentyfive years’ experience where either side has claimed the right to insist on the acceptance of one clause, subject to agreement before a conference. The miners are not seeking trouble and would be glad of any assistance, either political or otherwise, as the result of which the position might be bridged. The miners ask for an unconditional conference, when all the clauses of the agreement could be discussed. “I am net hopeless regarding the outlook, and perhaps wiser counsels will prevail. The miners are quite prepared to discuss all questions and will keep the gate open for any '.outside assistance to help a conference- to be arranged.” The State and Grey Valley miners will meet to-morrow.

The Denniston and Millerton collieries were idle to-day, says a Westport message. A miners’ meeting at Denniston last night decided there would be no work until the owners’ proposals were withdrawn or substantially modified. The position is similar at Millerton. The Stockton union held a meeting today. The decision is not known, but it is expected it will fall in line with the others. 1500 IDLE ON WEST COAST COMPLAINT AGAINST OWNERS. CASE EXPLAINED FOR MEN. Greymouth, Lait Night. About 1500 West Coast- miners arc now on strike against the demands of the coal owners, including 450 at the State mines and 400 at the Wallsend and Dobson mines, also all the Inangahua union miners and the Buller miners. The mine manager were notified of the stoppage when the miners finished work yesterday evening. Many co-operative miners continue to work, also the tribute miners, including 23 Grey district co-operative mines, 19 being on State reserves And four pn harbor • board land.

The State mine output is 900 tons daily for 440 men. Some of the cooperative mines have been. selling coal more cheaply of late, but the prices are apt to rise as soon as the demand for their coal grows. The Blackball mines, employing 160 men, although idle to-day are affected by trade conditions, but are not concerned with the decision of the unions as the workers there are non-unionists.

Mr. Angus McLagan, the miners’, national secretary, stated that the northern miners’ agreement expired in May but until a new agreement was reached the old terms should continue, The owners, however, took the offensive with a demand for drastic wages and conditions changes, for the acceptances of which a date was fixed. Since then the owners three times agreed to postponements, but then issued an ultimatum to the northern men that the new terms would take effect on June 4. The northern miners worked till June 2 on the old terms, when they refused to work under the owners’ demands without an agreement. West Coast miners were locked out on May 16. The owners then withdrew the original ultimatum, agreeing to have a conference which, however, had been delayed pending northern developments. Fearing an extension of the owners’ offensive to the South Island the unions there stopped in sympathy with the northern miners. The owners’ organisation had explained that their action was due to trade conditions, but some owners had made no demands on the men, including a large North Island company, all °the Otago and Southland employers, and smaller ones on the West Coast. The miners considered the owners’ objects included over-production, an 11-day fortnight, the dismissal of hundreds more minors, and longer hours, as well as wages reductions. The Denniston electric light is off tonight owing to the power house not working. The staff, who are members of the union, were called out. It is understood orders have been given to the permanent staff at Denniston to run the power-house to-morrow.

NEW PLYMOUTH COAL STOCKS.

RAILWAY HAS (LARGE RESERVE.

Fair stocks of coal are held in New (Plymouth, but if the stoppage is protracted a shortage is-likely. The New Plymouth Gas Company has the usual reserve supply on hand, and is expecting a shipment soon by . the Totara, which should serve immediate needs. It is understood the railway, which always carries an ample reserve, has enough coal at New Plymouth and Hawera for running purposes to last three months.

POSITION IN NORTH AUCKLAND.

HIKURANGI MEN ALREADY OUT.

Whangarei, Last Night. The result of the miners’ ballot does not affect the position at Hikurangi, where the men at the Hikurangi Coal Company’s mine have been on strike for the past fortnight. The Ward Co-operative Colliery does mot coine within the scope of the ballot. decision as it has a contract to

supply SOO tons weekly to Wilson s Cement Company, and so long as. this amount is not exceeded the Miners’ Union will not interfere.

Except at Wilson’s work's, where 6000 to 7000 tons are stocked, very little coal is held in North Auckland. The output of private mines is between 100 and 150 tons weekly.

NO FIXED MINIMUM WAGE LOWER RATES FOR OVERTIME. THE RIGHT TO ENGAGE MEN. The terms submitted to the Waikato miners by th® New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association, the objection of the Miners’ Union to certain clauses of' which has precipitated the present trouble, involve no alteration in the rates for hewing coal by hand. The owners demand, however, a reduction in the rate for handling machine-cut coal, the abolition of the minimum wage, a reduction in overtime rates, and alterations in the conditions of work in the mines, which the miners claim will drastically reduce their earning power. In the old agreement, if the miner was unable, on account of difficult country or conditions, to earn 18s a shift, the wages he earned were made up by the owners to 18s. This minimum clause does not appear in the new proposals. The rate paid for handling machinecut coal was formerly 2s 9jd a ton. The proposed new rate is 2s 4Ad a ton. Considerable importance is attached to this proposal, as a largo quantity of coal is said to be cut out of the faces by machines and has to be split by hand. Overtime, which used to be paid for at the rate of time and a-half for the first three hours after eight hours and double time thereafter, will now, according to the owners’ proposals, be paid tor at the rate of time and aquarter for the first three hours and time and a-half thereafter. “WET PAY” PROVISIONS. Under the old agreement, before a man could qualify for “wet pay’’ he was required to work for at least six hours in a saturated condition. The proposed new agreement provides that the men must work eight hours in a saturated condition before they can earn wet pay. It is stated by the men that a saturated condition docs not mean merely getting wet through up to the knees, but all over. The proposals suggest a penalty of 3d a ton for every 71b. of stone or other impurities in the coal hewn by each man. This, it is claimed, will make serious inroads into the earnings of thje miners, particularly those working in seams of bad coal, who will also be affected by the abolition of the minimum wage clause. Another clause affects what is known as the dip heading rate. It has been the custom to allow extra pay for coal cut on a down or up grade of approximately one in eleven. The owners now demand that the grade shall be one in eight before extra pay will be granted. NEW TRUCKING PROPOSALS. Cartage of coal from the face to the. tip has previously been done solely by truckers. The owners now demand that the miners shall take full trucks 22 yards out from the face without pay and that they (shall be paid at the rate of 2d for every chain the trucks are taken beyond 22 yards. The men object that this proposal will reduce the number of truckers employed, simultaneously wasting the earning time of the miners.

In timbering the mine, the men formerly were allowed payment for setting up props 9ft. in length. Now they must do this for nothing. If the props are 12ft. long they will be paid 3d instead of la as formerly. Payment for putting in crossbeams, or sets, is reduced from 4s 2d to 3s. Payment for renewing old timber has been reduced from 9d to 5d each for props up to 12ft. in length, from la 5d to Is for lengths over 12ft., and from 2s Id to Is §d for jig Kpps.