TRADE UNION MEDIATORS GO BEYOND BRIEF.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18000, 10 November 1926, Page 14

TRADE UNION MEDIATORS GO BEYOND BRIEF.

ANOTHER HITCH IN COAL NEGOTIATIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, November 9. The coal negotiations continue to disappoint the peace seekers. Though the trade union mediators definitely gave Mr Baldwin and the Government to understand that the seven hours’ day would no longer be an obstacle to peace, the Cabinet negotiators late last night learnt that the trade union mediators had gone beyond their brief in this respect. Earlier in the day important points of difference were cleared away, such as a minimum wage, a subsistence wage and the ratio of divisible profits, concessions which the miners won in earlier struggles. The Government also persuaded the owners to agree in principle to an arbitration tribunal, though only after a veiled ultimatum had been issued. The owners were told that if the miners did not agree to the supervision of district agreements this would be assured by legislation. An official statement from Downing Street announces that the 'conference adjourned to enable the miners to consult their constituents. A delegate conference is being summoned for Wednesday. Unfortunately, at the last moment, the miners’ executive resurrected the old slogan: “Not a minute on the day,” and the basic trouble seemed back again. The miners’ executive only decided to resurrect the slogan by the narrow margin of eleven to nine votes. Over 300,000 miners are now working upon the owners’ terms, so there is hope that if the question of hours is submitted to a free vote in the districts it may be possible for the negotiations to continue. Important test cases were heard in Northumberland yesterday, when a number of miners were fined 40s or a month’s imprisonment for neglecting to maintain their wives and children and leaving them to the Poor Law Guardians when work was available at the pits.