THE MINERS’ STRIKE.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18631, 9 May 1932, Page 6

THE MINERS’ STRIKE.

NO SETTLEMENT. HIKURANQI MEN OBDURATE. AN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION. (Special to Times). AUCKLAND, Saturday. Seen after the rising of the conference, Colonel W. D. Holgate, president of the Coal Mine Owners’ Association of New Zealand, who presided, said the proposal? submitted were discussed seriatim, but no decision was arrived at, the mine-owner 3 holding that nothing could be settled until the strike at the Hikurangi mine was called off. Miners* Views, Mr Robinson, president of the Northern Miners’ Union, said- this afternoon that the agreement- Iff. force had run for practically two years and the negotiations were for 1 a new agreement for 1 an Indefinite term. The negotiations had broken down on account of the' stand taken, up by the Hikurangi- branch. The council of the Northern Union had Instructed the Hikurangi’ men to return to work, but the latter had held a meeting this morning and had refused to do' so unless the suspensions of the men who had been put off were lifted. The Hikurangi men contended that the agreement that they had with the Hikurangi Coal Company was that work should be shared. Mr Robinson said the refusal of the owners to negotiate further until the Hikurangi miners' returned to work was met with the' suggestion that the negotiations should be gone on with as far as Waikato mines were concerned, and that an endeavour’ should be made to settle the Hikurangi strike in the meantime. He explained that the miners’ delegates- were being put to a great deal of extra expense by the , adjournment.. They would have to go home and then return to Auckland if the : Hikurangi trouble were settled. The owners had given the men until May 16 to work under the terms of the old agreement, hut after that the position would be indefinite. If the Hikurangi trouble were not settled by the date mentioned the position, as far as the miners were concerned, would be most unsatisfactory as by then no- agreement would ! be iff force. -

WILL NOT RESUME WORK. DECISION BY MINERS. WHANGAREI, Sunday. A decision not to resume work at the Hikurangi mine until the Hikurangi Coal Company withdrew its notices of dismissal of 55 of their number was reached by a largely-attended meeting of miners held at Hikurangi this morning.

The meeting was called to consider the Strike and the representations of delegates, who had been recalled from the conference at Auckland between the Coalmine Owners’ Association and the Northern District Miners’ Gouncll.

Mr A. Robinson, president of the council, and Mr W. Davidson, secretary', who came from Auckland to intercede in the dispute, were in attendance, while the local delegates, Messrs C. A. Latham and T. Dunn, addressed the meeting. They fully outlined the activities of the Auckland conference, and advised the men on strike to resume work immediately so that the conference might proceed.

The safety men employed at the mine are working as usual. It is understood that no attempt will be made to interfere with them.