MINING DISPUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16495, 4 August 1921, Page 5

MINING DISPUTE.

FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE (Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, August 3. The long period of silence observed by the Miners’ Federation in the dispute regarding the making of a new national agreement was broken by Mr J. Arbuckle, federation secretary, who recently wrote to Mr Bishop, actingsecretary of the Coal Mine Owners’ Federation :—“ We are prepared to discuss a settlement of the present dispute •in the coal mining industry with your association on the basis of the present national agreement, with the rigjit to discuss hours of work. If this iff suitable, we would be pleased to appoint representatives to meet you at the earliest possible date. With reference to the action of your association in filing cases against individual unions in the Arbitration Court, we consider that a distinct breach of the present national agreement. At the annual conference of miners’ delegates, just finished in Wellington, it was decided definitely that under no consideration would individual unions he prepared to enter into individual or district agreements, either through the Arbitration Court or otherwise.” Mr Bishop replied :—I am instructed to say that several coal mining companies belonging to this association ar.e not prepared to consider the making of a r.ew industrial agreement with your federation. It does not, therefore, appear that any, good result would be likely to arise out of a conference between the two organisations. This association regrets that your federation is so strongly opposed to the making of local agreements between miners’ unions and their employers. I beg to suggest that the president, and secretary of your federation might meet the president of this association and mvself to discuss the grounds of vour opposition, with the object of ascertaining whether your opposition to local agreements cannot be overcome.”