NO MOVES MADE TO SETTLE DISPUTE ON WAIKATO COALFIELDS

Wanganui Chronicle, 22 July 1950, Page 6

NO MOVES MADE TO SETTLE DISPUTE ON WAIKATO COALFIELDS

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— Coal from a South Island collier which arrived in Auckland tonight will temporarily relieve the shortage caused by the miners’ strike on the Waikato coalfields. Another ship is expected to arrive next Tuesday and this will help to ease the situation which has threatened to retard industry after seven days. However, r.either the miners, their employers, nor the higher authorities have made any move toward a settlement. A reply to the Prime Minister’s statement was made jointly today by the president of the Northern Miners’ Union (Mr. T. Hall), and the union secretary (Mr. H. Hall). They said that Mr. Holland had accused the Miners’ Union of not playing the game in accordance with the rules. “In reply, and for his benefit, guidance and information, we quote clause 40 sub-clause D of the union’s current agreement,” they said. This clause reads: “Pending a settlement of any dispute, work shall continue in all respects as before the dispute arose?

“This being so,” said the union officials, “the position from the union’s point of view is specifically clear. The employee concerned at Pukemiro should have retained his employment until such time as the mine manager’s complaint had been referred to a judicial committee . set up for this purpose, and a decision had been reached by that body In the face of these irrefutable facts, it would be competent for us to presume that in this instance the rules are being flagrantly broken by the management and not by the union.”