320 COAL MINES IDLE IN WALES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 1

320 COAL MINES IDLE IN WALES.

MEN EXPECT SOLUTION WILL SOON BE FOUND. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON, January 1. Three hundred and twenty pits are idle in South Wales. Only the safety men are on duty keeping the mines ready for a resumption of work. Mining continues at about fifty pits. Good humour is general and the pickets at the entrances to the mines are cheery. The miners generally expect that the joint meeting between the owners and the trade union leaders on Saturday will find a solution. As one of the miners said, “we are going to lose three days’ pay, which is more than we would lose in two months’ working on the terms the federation had settled.” The miner’s wives generally are praying that the men may work again on Monday. The Government made an unsuccessful effort yesterday to bring about a resumption of negotiations but the stoppage of work began to-day. It is hoped, however, that the stoppage will be of short duration. One hundred and forty thousand miners are involved. A meeting of the Conciliation Board has been called for Saturday. No open concession has been made by the owners, who adhere to their main point that a readjustment of hours must involve a reduction of wages. The decision of the Miners’ Executive to agree to an examination of the possibilities by the Conciliation Board as to the extension to July of the present terms of employment suggests readiness on their part to reconsider their earlier opposition to the spread-over of hours arrangement, adversely affecting wages.