MINERS CALLED UP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 February 1944, Page 3

MINERS CALLED UP

ACTION AGAINST STRIKERS IN AUSTRALIA URGENT ORDER DEFIED ARMY NOTICES SERVED (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, February 28. Army call-up notices were served today on 500 New South Wales miners between the ages of 18 and 35 who have been on strike since February 14. This move followed the miners’ defiance of an urgent order by the Commonwealth Coal Commissioner, Mr N. Mighell, to resume work today. The notices order the men to report for military service on Monday and Tuesday of next week. No disclosure has yet been made concerning the action to be taken against striking miners outside the 1835 age group. The strike extending over 11 working days arose over the miners’ objection to working pillars with more than one pair of miners. The men claim that the use of more than one pair of miners causes dust which affects their lungs.

GUARANTEED WAGE SUGGESTED FOR AUSTRALIAN MINERS MEANS OF. BRINGING PEACE SYDNEY, February 28. Payment of a guaranteed minimum weekly wage to miners as a means of bringing peace to the Australian coalfields is being suggested by miners’ officials. The present system of payment is by contract and day wages. The New South Wales Minister for Mines, Mr Baddeley, has admitted that the contract payment system is a fruitful source of industrial disputes with consequent loss of coal output. In a mechanised section of one State mine soon to be opened, the men will be paid day wages (about 275) instead of at contract rates. Examination of the mines statistics has revealed that disputes over various special contracts have caused most of the stoppages in New South Wales coalmines. At present, contract miners can earn up to £l2 a week, while other day wage workers at the pits make only about £5 10s. Advocating a minimum wage, payable weekly, for Australian miners, the secretary of the Miners’ Federation, Mr G. Grant, said that in New Zealand all mineworkers were guaranteed a minimum weekly wage of £5 10s, while in England underground mine workers were guaranteed £5 a week and surface workers £4 10s. Production both in New Zealand and England was less subject to interruption by strikes than in Australia. He suggested £6 17s 6d for underground workers and £6 for surface hands as a fair minimum guaranteed weekly wage for Australian miners. Australian coal production problems will be discussed in the Federal Parliament this week.