Date For Miners’ Meeting Changed

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 12

Date For Miners’ Meeting Changed

(New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, May 12. The Runanga State Miners’ Union executive met tonight to discuss a telegram from the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr F. P. Walsh) urging the union to hold its annual meeting on a non-work day instead of next Monday, which is a working day. The union had now called for a special general meeting for Sunday morning. After the meeting, the secretary (Mr N. H. Leech) said he was not authorised to make any statement. The telegram came after what Mr Walsh described as a “bitter complaint” by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand), at the miners’ decision to hold their meeting on a working day.

A message from Wellington says Mr Shand made the complaint when he discussed the West Coast coal question with a deputation from the F.O.L. and United Mineworkers’ Federation this morning. Mr Walsh later sent this telegram to the Runanga Miners’ secretary (Mr Norman Leach):

“At a deputation to the Minister of Mines this morning. he bitterly complained that the miners had decided to hold their annual meeting on Monday. May 15. in place of holding it on a nonworking day The executive of the Federation of Labour is of the opinion that you are prejudicing our negotiations with the Government over the question of Blackball and Paparoa State

mines by holding your annual meeting on Monday. “We strongly recommend that your executive recommends to members that it be held on a non-working day in view of the fact that coal from your mines is in urgent demand for gas production" The national president of the Mineworkers’ Federation (Mr A. V Prendeville) and the secretary (Mr J. White) were in the deputation that saw Mr Shand.