Miners To Try To Boost Coal Production

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 October 1949, Page 5

Miners To Try To Boost Coal Production

LONDON, Oct 4 (Recd 8 pm).—The Durham Miners' Association, which has 125,000 members, is convening mass meetings throughout the Durham coalfields to consider ways and means of boosting coal production, so that the coal target set for the present year will be attained. Eacli meeting will have before it recommendations from pit consultative committees making detailed proposals for reducing absenteeism, recruiting more coalfact workers, eliminating strikes and restrictive practices, and encouraging overtime. Mr. Sam Watson, secretary of the Durham Miners’ Association, and this year's chairman of the Labour Party, contenting upon this production campaign, said:

"By getting down to the problem of production on the basis of these suggestions, Durham miners will be giving practical support to the Government’s call for maximum cooperation in the country’s desperate economic plight. They know perfectly well that the success of the Labour Government is also their success.

"The return of the Tory Government, which might be the result of failure, is unthinkable to all Durham miners who suffered so much under past Tory Government." The Union of Post Office Workers, which has 47,000 members, has informed the Postmaster-General that it is anxious to discuss means by which it can improve efficiently and increase production.—N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent).