MINERS MEET AND CEASE WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 March 1947, Page 5

MINERS MEET AND CEASE WORK

650 TONS OF PRODUCTION LOST AT HUNTLY (P.A.) Auckland, March 6 Production of 650 tons of coal was lost when meji at the Macdonald Mine at Huntly went home for the day after a stop-work meeting this morning. The men claimed that several compensation payments had been held up. The mine was idle all day. "The men arrived at the mine as usual, but shortly after 8 o'clock the mine manager was advised by a mine official that there would not be any work because some compensation payments had been held up,’’ it was stated on i behalf of the Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd., owners of the mine. "The Miners’ Union had not previously discussed this matter with the management; nor had any complaints been received from any individual workers about compensation payments. However, after the men decided to return home the management was informed that four cases of payment of compensation were overdue.

"There was no delay on the company’s part and had the matter been reported it could have been settled in less than five minutes,” the company stated. “There was no need for a meeting, or for loss of a day’s work. Three of the cases went through the usual channel in the usual time and payment of compensation was not disputed in any way by this company, or the insurance company. In one ease the company had not even received a medical certificate to indicate that the person concerned was suffering an injury." Although the Macdonald Mine is owned by the Glen Afton Collieries, Ltd., it is under State control.

Following a stopwork meeting at the Renown Mine this morning only a lew miners went in to work to-day. The meeting lasted until 10 a.m., after which the majority of the men '' ent home.