Thames Miners' Union.

Thames Star, Volume XXX, Issue 9307, 20 February 1899, Page 2

Thames Miners' Union.

HOURS OF LABOR AT CORO-

MANDEL

Says Saturday's Coromandel News: "On Monday last Mr. M." D. O'Keeffe, president of the Miners' Union, in company with Mr. Max D. King, steward of the Coromandel branch, interviewed Captain Hodge, manager of the Hauraki group of mines, with respect to the hours of labor in Coromandel. For purposes of explanation, we might state that the working hours in the Hauraki group are as follows : Day shift—From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 48 hours per week; but as this shift works four hours only on pay day, the actual working time of the whole shift is an average of 47 hours a week. Afernoon shift-—4 p.m to 12 p.m., on Saturdays, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m ; , making 46 hours a week. Night shift 12 p m. to 8 am. on ordinary nights, 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday night (or Monday morning), making 47 hours a week. The Miners' Union wishes to obviate the necessity for working until 10 o'clock on Saturday night, and to accomplish this it asks the companies to concede an hour a week to one shift, making the working hours: Day shift, 46 hours; afternoon shift, 46 hours; night shift, 47 hours. To effect this it suggests that instead of the day shiftl working 8 hours on ordinary occasions and 4 hours on pay day, to work six hours every Saturday, to enable the afternoon shift to knock off at 8 p.m. on that day. The respective hours of labor on Saturday ■thus being: Day shift, from 8 a.m. Ito 2 p.m.; afternoon shift, from 2 p.m to 8 p.m This will do away with the practice of paying the men at the one hour, but the union considers th«* gain will be the greater both to the men and the place. These suggested hours, it might be mentioned, are recognised in other places'; were indeed laid down as compulsory by Mr Justice Denniston in the hearing of a case at Reefton. Captain Hodge has promised to submit the matter to the directors in London.