COAL MINE SHUTS DOWN

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1933, Page 9

COAL MINE SHUTS DOWN

FIFTH IN THE OHAI DISPUTE FAILURE TO REACH SETTLEMENT. HIRE AND FIRE CLAUSE AT STAKE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. The latest development in the Ohai coal strike is that to the list of mines which have now been idle since August 17, Linton, Warakei, Mossbank and Black Diamond, is now added, the name of the Black Lion. This mine, which closed down dn Friday as a result of the failure of the owner and the men to come to a settlement, did not reopen this morning. > The miners worked last week under notice to see if some agreement could be reached, but a conference with the owner (Mr. Peter McSkimming) on Wednesday proved fruitless. He is stated to have refused to engage the men under the old conditions and the miners lodged an objection to the “hire and fire” clause, under the provisions of which the mine manager is given the undisputed right to engage or dismiss men at his own discretion. The “hire and fire” clause has been the cause of the trouble at other mines, the contention of the men being that it should be struck out and' that provision should be made for sharing the work. It is also understood that the owner of the Black Lion mine proposed a reduction of 6d a ton in the amount of coal hewn, this reducing the rate from 5s 4d to 4s lOd for solid working and from 4s lOd to 4s 4d for pillar working. Negotiations, however, did not proceed as far as this.

The closing down' of the Black Lion leaves only the Birchwood pit working. There is no “hire and fire” clause in its agreement, which will continue in existence until January, 1934, although a reduction of 2d per ton was recently accepted by the miners.