MINERS' WORKING HOURS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 11

MINERS' WORKING HOURS.

| the spread-over scheme EFFORTS TO AVOID STOPPAGE. (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIEXLESS.) (Received November 30th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, November 28. Hopes have been considerably strengthened that tho stoppage of work on the South Wales coalfield would be avoided. The National Coal Board, having examined tho miners' case throughout the day, at midnight issued a statement that an unanimous conclusion had been reached which had been embodied in a report to be forwarded to the parties concerned in the dispute. It is unofficially stated that this recommends a spread-over of hours for South Wales without a reduction in wages. The eight-hour day would thus be continued, as is being done in other districts, for a temporary period. It is anticipated that the South Wales miners and owners will hold a joint conference on Saturday to consider tho application of the spread-over to their district, and later in tho day tho miners' leaders will ask their members to approve of the agreement. Settlement in Other Districts. Stoppages have been avoided in several other fields, where tho owners and miners have come to terms. In North Staffordshire the spread-over of hours has been accepted until January 31st next, on a basis of a maximum of 45 hours per week at tho current rate of wages. In Northumberland there will be no spread-over hours, but a 74-hour day will be observed as laid down by the Act. In Cannock Chase, the miners are to work the 7i-hour day to* the next fortnight, pending the hearing of an appeal by the Coal Board. In the Tirivol area the spread-over hours and a continuance of working as at present, pending negotiations for a final settlement, have been agreed to. THE OWNERS' TERMS. MINERS UNANIMOUSLY AGAINST THEM. (Received November 30th, 5.5 p.m.) TjONDON. November 29. Mr Doonan. president of the Scottish Mine Workers' organisation, commenting on the conference's decision, declared that the owners' terms were a violation of the Coal Miners Act of 1930. For this reason there would be absolute unanimity among the mrners in resisting th<?m. The conference felt that it was therefore unnecessary to make an urgent appeal to the miners. Mr E. Shinwell, Secretary for Mines, was all .lnv long in touch telephonically with Mr Ramsay Mac Donald.

Temporary agreements were reached in Warwickshire, Cumberland, and Lancashire. ACCEPTANCE OF ARRANGEMENT. DEFIANCE OF MINERS' FEDERATION. (Received November 30th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 29. The acceptance of the spread-over arrangement, even temporarily, is regarded as a definite defiance to the National Federation's decision. The district secretary, Mr Tom Richards, who also is president of the Miners' Federation, declared that the owners suddenly withdrew their demands for a drastic in wages to-day, and put up terms for the spread-over, to which the South Wales men were left no option, but to accept the arangements, subject to the matter being considered by the national conference on December 4th.

SCOTTISH MINERS DECIDE ON STOPPAGE. LONDON, November 29. The Scottish miners have decided on a complete stoppage on November 30th. Tho South Wales miners have accepted the owners' terms for a temporary settlement. MINERS' DELEGATE CONFERENCE. DECISION AGAINST SPREADOVER HOURS. (T7JJITBD PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY alCtllO TXLXOBAFH—COPYBIOHT.) LONDON, November 28. The Miners' Delegate Conference rejected applications from four districts for permission to work the spread-over hours and recommended that in the event of a stoppage in any district other districts should consider the giving of notice of a national cessation of work. Mr A. J. Cook (miners' secretary) subsequently described the situation as very grave. North Wales, South Wales, Cumberland, and Scotland, and possibly some Midland districts, would be involved in stoppages on Monday unless something happened in the meantime. The miners regarded the spread-over as a continuance of the eight-hour day. The South Wales owners to-night decided to post notices in the coalfields offering a continuance of the existing conditions throughout December, but the hours not to exceed 90 a fortnight. A joint Conciliation Board meanwhile is attempting to settle conditions for a permanent spread-over. In the event of failure the matter will be referred to independent arbitration. Following the miners' decision, Messrs Graham and Shinwell met representatives of the miners and owners, after which the Government telegraphed to the districts affected by the decision, urging that temporary arrangements be made to work, pending a further meeting of the Miners' Conference on December 6th. BOARD ADJOURNS HEARING. LONDON, November 28. The National Coal Board has issued a - interim report, suggesting that the South Wales and Monmouthshire owners and miners should immediately seek an agreement, and meanwhile the Board would adjourn the hearing of the miners' claims. If the dispute was not settled by agreement it should be referred back to the National Board for a full hearing.