FIVE THOUSAND AFFECTED

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1442, 17 May 1912, Page 8

FIVE THOUSAND AFFECTED

TERMS'OFtfHE- MINERS* AGREE- •..;.. NO INFORMATION FOR-THE PRESS. (By Teiejraph.—Special' Correspondent.) ".,".;,;.'.,• Auckland,' May IG.

Tho big.'strike' at Waihi is'tho main topic of,-discussion in Auckland, and.tho general steeling here seems to .be one' of amazemenKat-tho fact that a unioiiaiidcr, tho cloak oHho Federation of Labour can regard itsvsblenm agreement as' so miibh wast© paper.'.to be torn up at .will, and paralyse'.:!!-, great industry because ,of a dispute'."with some other -workers in the samo indiistry; Tile position 'is well summed up>.b'y*<me of the Wnihi miners, - who said.thejipiesent troublo at W-aihi.'W.an-other evidence of the wholesale.miserable state of-.. l nlfairs caused, by the Socialist element,;:wiio;just now are holding the balanoa of. power in the Miners' Union. "I on??;-.'hope," ho added, "this will be tho eonolnding -lesson of the'chapter, and. that myl'fellow, miners will rise and assert themselves .and oust this troublesome Before they enmo in pur midst our union'VaKiriUuhds, but lion:, we.hrb like the-;man\'that; fell;-.put of the balloon. Wo arooukof .ft-riio'money in our union, no notliiri*;-',aiid:c'erfeinly.',no. sense, or we would never have'permitted'this, state of things tb v :cbmo-"al)but.'i.'Ahyv;ay, it is n lesson wo,have.paid dearly for..but let us rise and'- got/rid -of .'these.ngitators: and •peace-distui:ber£ .from; 'our Amidst." ...'.- The Waihi correspondent of the "Herald," .in'aildrigtliy. message, states, that the single;- men;are .regarding, tho strrke' as a huge'pibniCj'.'and. are-enjoying .themselves secret of''-tlie'>fact' that-if.'tho strike .has to depart 'to. 'work "elsewhere. It is a different'case with tho married men. who havo wives and families depending upon their earnings. ' The. miners, engineers, engine-drivers, and surface'workers- now out of employmcnt,;.',total 1547, and their weekly earnings 'run into some ,£5094. To these must be added the 70 workers from the Waihi Borough Council, who wero compelled to cease : work last night owing to the National Bank having declined to give the council further credit. Their weekly wages'total about X2OO. From these figures 'it will bo seen that the workers directly affected number some 1617, and theirj'wages amount tD about .£5294 weekly, an-'averagc .of close on .£3 6s. per head. Either directly or' indirectly upwards of 5000 of-the other inhabitants of Waihi and Waikino are denendent upon tho earnings of these workers for their livelihood, and as the final wages payments will ;bo made .by the mining companies during the next" few days, there will afterwards bono channel thtough which the' men can find tho wherewithal to supnort

themselves and their y;ives and families, apart: from any contributions made by outsido unions. The appended table gives the approximate mimber of employees of the companies and council who are affected, together with the weekly payments made-.— . No.of ..Weekly ; Emplovees. ' pay. TCaihi G.M. Co. 1.1)90 ..^3,625. AVaihi Grand Junction Co. m ' £\,m Waihi Extended Co 15 .£ls AVaihi- Gladstone Co 12 £M AVaihi Borough Council ... 70 £200 Totals .■■:■■ 1.617 So far as the strike is concerned, tho | Miners' Union has completely ignored the condition regarding grievances . in the agreement made between it and tho . Waihi, the Grand Junction, the Waihi Reefs' Consolidated, and the Waihi Extended. Goldmining Companies. The agreement was to'be observed for one year trom July 1 ( 1911.'""If contains the- following clause':.— . ' . "If- ajiy grievance arises during tho terrd'of this agreement between the respective companies and a. member or members of the Waihi Miners' and Workers' Union, such, grievance shall bo settled, by mutual agreement., between tho ! .managenient and the union's reprbsontahives. Any matter not provided, for by this agreement shall bo '80ttll5tl-by:-Writt'en-agr©eiii«u,t. -between - tho 'emplo'yea-s'and tho •committee ot

tho union." It is also-stated that, tho Union has a tulo thatVthree days* notice must be given io members of a meeting to discuss a etriko proposal. Apparently this has not teen done. '-, . , .'• i[ ■■■'■ '. --. Mr. W- E. Parry (president • of the. Miners'rUnion) was asked to make a state-, ment oft: behalf of tho union regarding its grievances, but ho declined to do so. He explained' that the union had decided that no information should be given for publication '.'except' in the .ofhcial journal of the fe'deratioh.'.. In reply -to a suggestion that the' general - public was entitled to know why tlie-.uinori ~,had-;.,'struck, Mr. Parry said "the- union,was-:quite satisned to inform the worker3i.wlo':ware,.in tym.pathy with it through/;;tho, federations journal.-'and no information would-be civen to" the daily press::'.lie, explained that a ."committee had already been., appointed: to administer the provision of holp to.'ltlio men who needed assistance. Pickets'have been sent out by the union, and stationed in and about the mining company's "properties. . .