THE COAL DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 26 July 1918, Page 6

THE COAL DISPUTE

Under- Sur- * ground laco Truckers Truckers shift- shil'tCo. Miners, (shift) (contract) men. men. Per Shift. fi. (1. 6. (1. a. (1. B. (I. s. (1. 1 18 6H 12 V - 13 3 12 0 2 20 0J 12 11 - 13 3 12 0 4 26 2 12 7 17 2 13 2 12 0 5 19 5 12 5 — 13 10 12 8 6* 20 5 12 7 - 14 5 12 3 9 20 6 - - 14 G 12 7 10 18 7 11 8 - 13 4 11 71 (llRUll) 21 23 (machines) * All miners do their own trucking. Note.—The. miners' earnings as shown above are the net amounts paid after deMm'.ting the cost of cxnlosives. Tlio cumin ks for the three months ended April 30, 1!)18, are higher limit for the twelvemonths, ended April 30, 1918, as the full bonuses were paid during the whole of the latter period, and the rates earned may be taken as present ruling rates. It has to bo noted that the above re. turn shows tlio net average earnings of tin? workers in various mines. That higher rales than those stated arc being earned is evidenced l>y the fact that recently a miner of over 50 years of ace made an affidavit to the effect that his ■weekly average for the past two years was £!) lis. (id. per week. Reference to the companies' books proved that the worker's statement was correct. Time Lost by Workers. In the previous statement on behalf of the Mine Owners' Association it was indicated that approximately 10 per cent, of the available working time in mines is not worked by mine employees. That statement is more than borne out by the following schedulo, which shows tho average number of shifts worked by a number of representative mines in the Dominion and the average number of shifts worked by each miner:— Aver. No.n Aver. o. of shifts of shifts Perper week worked centago worked per week by of Co. by mine, each miner, lost timo. 1 5 i 20% 2 5 .4 20% 3 5 i 20% i 5 H 10% 5 5 4j 15% 6 5 i\ 10% 7 5 4J 10% 8 5} ii 14% The foregoing show's that the percentage of lost time ranges from 10 per cent, to 20 per cent., so that after allowing for time lost owing to unavoidable reasons such as sickness, accidents, etc., there is ample justification for the statement that on the average 10 per cent, more time could be worked by the coal mine employees of the Dominion if they desired to do so. Just here it should be pointed out that only the days the mines are actually at work are taken into account in the calculation of the association. Days upon which tho mines were not worked by reason of the causes mentioned by the federation have been deducted, so that after allowance is made as demanded by the , federation there still remains the fact that there is at least ten per cent, of avoidable absenteeism. The effect of such absenteeism on the part of miners and truckers and the results which would befattained by the acceptance of the employers' proposal aio 6et forth in the following statement:—

MINE OWNERS IN REPLY WHY A CONFERENCE WAS REFUSED i THE PROPOSED BONUS The Coal Mine Owners' Association is- ; sued a statement yesterday iu reply (o \ tho oflicial statement of the Miners' Fed- ' oration regarding the coal mining dis- 1 puto. The employers explaiu why a con- J ference with the federation was refused, , state that the coal miners are well paid i already, and show the effect of the bonus offered" for full-time work. They con- i tend that miners : wages have advanced to a greater extent than the cost of living. that the output oi the mines has declined, and that the companies are not < making large profits. The full statement is as follows:— Refusal to Meet Federation, In order that the public may, .understand the position it is nocossary to refer to the protracted negotiations which took place in Febru,and .May last year between the coal min» owners ami the representatives of the Miners' Federation. Towairds lite etui of December, 191i>, a demand was received from the Miners' Federation for an all-round increase of 20 per cent, on the rates cf pay Iher. being paid to mine workers. A conference between the employers and tho Minors' Federation representatives was arranged for, and was held on February 21, 11)17, and lasted for seven days without settlement being reached. Under pressure from the Government the employers agreed to again meet the federation on Ma.y 10, 1917, and again the negotiations proved abortive. Daring the course of the latter conference (ho employers in order to avert industrial trouble offered lo increase the existing 10 per ccnt. war bonus by a further 10 per cent, to shift workers and 7J- per cent, to contract workers. This was absolutely irefused by lho representatives of the Miners' Federation, but was afterwards accepted by practically the whole of the miners' unions of the Dominion, and registered industrial agreements entered into or Arbitration Court awards made for a period of three years, or until six months alter the declaration of peace, whichover is the earlier, and these agreements and awards are still in operation and equally binding on both parties. The attitude of the Miners ledoration representatives in absolutely refusing the increases offered (which increases were promptly accopted by the individual unions)', and in persisting in denjMs which, if granted, would have enormously increased the prico of coal, was so unreasonable, especially at the later conference, that the employors feel they are fully justified in refusing to again meet them to disciiiss matters concerning what tho federation designates "a readjustment of wages." Between these conferences there came the prosecution in Auckland arising out of tho federation's "go-slow policy referred to in the federation official statement. Tho Miners' Federation admits the reliability of the Crown Prosecutor s evidence, piurt of which was to the effect that the federation officials deliberately set themselvos out to disturb industrial conditions, ami following that a description of how the "go-slow policy was cairied out. He also quoted a tclegrnm from the secretary of the icdcrahon to another federation official complaining that "things were quiet, the mines working every day, tho men making good money, and that they would not take am- interest in anything that don t disturb their pockets.'' In nddition to this the Crown Wosecuto.; put forwanabiv - dant evidence which showed that i ne federation's policy is for anythint h industrial peace. Iho ■ .. , federation lo disturb existing and b"d ing agreements and awards, under which unions have been amicably working indicates that the same policy is still benfc adopted, and that being the case it s believed that the general pubhc vnil sunDort the coal mine owue.s in then filial to meet the federation roprescntallThe New Zealand Coal Owners' Associalion is a national organisation, oepiesenfativc of practically the wholeof +I'n ml mining companies of Aew /jen land, and will be prepared at any timo to meet tho representatives of the woik- «■' national organisation Jt demonstrated beyond doubt lh< t U_ officials have abandoned the p°lic> of , creating industrial strife., Pho "on is further justified m its attitude : bv the fact that the agreements _ above referred lo have still a long period of I emrencv, and that the employers are entitled to insist that they should be cairied out in their entirety by the, nmo.s as the federation would undoubtedly mI si«t they should be'carried out bv tho 1 I companies.

No Dissatisfaction in Mines. The employers nre strongly of opinion that up to January 10 lust, when the secretary of the Miners' Iteration wrote to tlio president of tins New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' .Association making a demand for a further. 20 per cent, increase in the rates of pay, there was no sign whatever of dissatisfaction amongst the mine workers of the Dominion. .As a matter of fact the miners were working well, giving a good output, and there was every indication that they were satisfied with their conditions. The minoownera feel confident that up to that date no general request from the minors had been mode to the federation officials to make a demand Cor the further increase in wages, and it would be interesting to loam oil what authority it was jinuie. in other words, tho mine owners are strongly of opinion that the present disnute was not originated by the unions, and this furnishes a further strong reason for refusing to meet the federation. The Employers' Offer. Tho offer the mine owners have made to the minors' unions throughout the Dominion is to pay "an additional bonus of i per cent, to wages men and 21 per ccnt. to contract workers and pieco-work-ers, to all such workers who attend and work the full available time during any fortnight. The bonus, however, not to apply to any special contract or contracts for which tenders have been called." In addition to the above there was was (lie offer to instituto trucking on contract in place of the present-day wage system. Immediately on tho federation representatives being made aware of the offer of a bonus for full time worked they issued instructions to unions not to accept the mine-owners' offer. They were evidently so afraid that the unions might as before agree to the proposal made by the employers, ' and thus secure peace throughout the coal mines of the Dominion, that they took upon themselves the responsibility of preventing any chance of settlement boing reached. Surely this is not in keeping with the protestations of a body o? men who profess to be doing everything to prevent trouble between employers and workers, and "to avoid anything that might conceivably lead up to an industrial dislocation."

Earnings of Mine Workers, In order to remove "vagueness" as to tlio earnings of workers which illicit be in .the minds of federation representatives or the. generiil public, the following schedule' is published, for general information. The rates shown fully bear out the statements previously made, mid also indicate tlint workers in coal mines are the best-paid body of workers in the Dominion For Twelve Months to oOtli April, 1918, Under- Surg1*01111(1 I'ilCO Truckers Truckers .shift- shirtCo. Miners, (shift,) <od tract) men. men. . Per Shift. H. (1. 8. (1. S. tl. S. (1. s, (1. 1 18 n 12 7 - 13 3 12 Q 2 19 13 1311 - 13 3 12 0 3 20 10 13 1 IB 6 13 0 12 5 4 25 9 12 5 !'> 1 13 0 12 tl 5 19 6 12 2 - 13 9 12 8 6* 19 3 12 63 - 14 3 11 2 7 ' 19 10 12 5 - 13 1 12 3 8+ 17 2 - - 13 1 12 3 nj 20 7 - - 13 8 12 4 10 .' 17 41 11 3 20 9 IJ< 4 11 7 (hand) 19 13 ' (machines) ♦Number nf miners truck tlirir own coal. ■fAll minors do their own truukiim. ■ For Three iloutha to 30th April, 1918.

The above return indicates that if full available time had been worked, (luring the 11117-18 period no worker would havo earned less than J!3 per week, while it would have been possible for miners to have earned on the average up to nearly .07 per week. Figures such ns these fully justify the use of words such as "very high wages earned by miners. When it is seen also that the employers present proposals which if acted upon would still further increase the earning power of mi no workers by from Bs. 7d. per week to 235. sd. per week, the-action of the federation officials in instructing unions not to accept the otter indicates that the securing of increased wages is not the main object of the federation demand, because, as shown alms, if lull available time is worked a considerable I increase could be earned at present rates.

Increase of Output. As the fedoraf-ion admits, one of tlio greatest needs of New Zealand to-day is nil increase in the output of coal. It is clearly demonstrated above that, alter allowing for all contingencies such as sickness, Occident, and mine stoppages ot all kinds, mine workers could easily provide 10 per cent, more coal than is being produced at the, present time. In addition to increasing their o\m wages and being paid a bonus for so doing, then could produco sutlicient coal to provide at any rate for nil essential requntinents besides rendering it unnecessary that residents of Wellington and other places should be without fire m tlioir homos in this wintry weather. Tho output of the coal iniuw. of New Zealand last year was 2,008,119 tons..A 10 nev cent increase in out put vouiu he Slro represent over 200,000 " tans, which, if made available, would relievo tli" present shortage to a very appicciabfft extent and also reduce the work "l° ! cost of tho mines, i'et when proposals < are mado for the purpose of meeting a ; crying need in the Dominion they lire j calmly brushed aside by tho use ot the term "speeding up. •' , This term is entirely erroneous and] misleading. There is no "speeding up such as is repugnant to the miner and the forerun nor of mcmisul, accidents." It is, on the other hand a [ prop"!' suggestion at a time whin tho i coaf shortage ! is so acute that miners sh mid work full available, time under the ordinary working conditions and ieccive a bonus tor so doing. Apait tiorn | the humanitarian considerations, it would i o advantage, but on the contr;in a ' riooided loss, to the companies to a locate conditions which would _be likely to cause increased accidents. Tho claim that, "the miners are producing more coal per man than in any. other mo in the history of the Dominion Uviden'lv made with the intention ot nisle' Ui g'tho public. The rca position thown in the statement of the Mines Department of IMB. where it is stated ll>,!t "the increase in tonnage may be attributed to more regular work "M 1 ® co' ierics "If the miner were producing r>'\i «r»v shift tiion it would be ;i Sr° i I 'coiSnlatoi »*t >' the miner himself but by t <> coal mimi rwmv 'Hid the ireneral mWic •)*> min°r per shut. & Ul ' 3 ♦ , , I" ( tilfi 'lloiirm l R^w^rnß'StS tons per man pet *h.ii. -■* • , IOIH-U, 5.05 tons per man pe « 1017-18, 5.G tons per man m > " • *' ; l docs not look very much, at t muus ilb °" l ™hici 'represents at least 75 tons. per man per ' TtwWil the experience of nunc an increase in tye rate ot pa> is lie

queiitiy followed by a reduction in output, whicli iis another strong reason tor basing tho payment of any lurther bonus on full time worked. It is admitted I hat the output of the is'ow Zealand miner is higher than in many oilier countries, but that is ac- ' counted for by the better conditions of work, and Iho lact that tho scams of coal in iSew Zealand mines aro thicker and the coal softer than in most other countries, and are therefore much easier to work. The association docs not suggest that the New Zealand miner is not as good as the miner* of any other country; what it does say is that the continual agitation which is promoted and the tinendinsr pin-pricks to which mine owners are subjected leads to a condition of unrest amongst the men which results in decreased oulput. Holidays, Etc. With an average oi, say, one day per fortnight lost by the mines tliroush unavoidauie causes in audition to tile ordinary holidays, which mcjude ten days or more at Christinas and i\'ew iear, it is I suggested that at a lime like the urgent mine workers should work lull available j lime seeing that they voluntarily iosc j one day each ierlnig.it—that is "paySatimiay." This time oil on pay-Situir- i day is not reckoned in the average of 10 per cent, of timo lest, and so still further increases the 10-ss of output. | That being the case the general public, 1 as well as the coal mine owners, have some reason for suggesting that men who wilfully lose 10 per cent, of the available working time, and who decline to work one whole day as well ill each iortnight should not demand such an increase in wages as will inevitably result in a further I increase in the price of coal to the consumer, as also to ask why, if their present earnings are not sufficient for their reasonable requireltffcnis do they not accept the >vork which is available for them, and for which they are offered not only ordinary wages, but an additional bonus? Can the federation point to any other industry to whifch a bonus wns every offered for working full time? The association knows of none. Mine workers are not only well paid, but they also obtain many moro holidays in the course of tho year than are enjoyed by any other class of workers. Increaso in Cost of Living. Tho federation statement quotes tho increase in the three food groups only (excluding boots, clothing, rent, etc.), and then for the Dominion as a whole as Bfl.li per cent. Unfortunately, however, for tho federation's case, it is a fact that in the mining centres the increaso is lower than for the Dominion us a whole. For instance, tho Government Statistician's abstract for June last shows that, in Greymouth, the increase for the three food groups is 28.45 per cent., but if rent and other things were included, the general increase, say, on tho West Coast, from whence all this present trouble lias arisen, would be found to be somewhere about 23 per cent, to 25 per cent, at the outside.

We would suggest that the federation should CTuest the Government Statistician to provide it ivitli a return on that basis, and that it should he published for the benefit of all concerned. It would be interesting, also, to see the details compiled by the miners'" -wives in

LOSS OF EABNING POWEB, 1917-1318, AND ESTIMATED INCREASES ON PRESENT EARNINGS IP EMPLOYE US' OFFER IS ACCEPTED. Average Actual Amount Approx. EBt. .aver. ;nor. net avcrago which coukl weekly aver- per week for earnings net have been age under full lime work per shift, weekly earned per mineowners' if employers f!o Employee. 1917-18. earnings. week. offer. otter accepted. s. d. £-s.d. fis.d. £ 4<l. s. d. 1 Miners 18 Zi 3 11 10 4 11 0 413 3 20 5 Truckers (shift) 12 7 32 11 392 3 12 8 99 f Miners 19 13 3 Ifi 7 4 15 8J 4 18 1J 21 6 Truckers (shift) 12 11 3 4 7 3 10 10 3 14 4 9 9 j Miners .! 20 18 4 3 4 5 4 2 5 6 9 25 5 Truckers (shift) 13 1 3 5 5 511 11 3 15 6 10 1 Truckers (contract) 18 6 4 12 6 519 543 11 9 4 Miners 25 9 5 Id 3 6 14 6 6 17 10 21 7 Truckers (shift) 12 5 3 2 I 3 8 2 9 7 Truckers (contract) 15 1 3la 3 429 44 10 97 i miners 19 6 4 2 10 4 17 6 5 0 3 17 ,5 TruokcrH (shift) 12 2 3 0 10 3 6 11 3 10 3 9 5 6 Miners 19 3 4 i 7 4 16 3 4 18 8 ■ 12 1 (Some do thoir own trucking.) . , Truckers (shift) 12 65 327 38 10 3 17 3 98 7 Miners 19 10 49 f 419 2 51 8 12 5 Truckers (shift) 12 5 321 o 8 j 11 6 95 B Miners 17 2 3 17 3 4 10 7 4 12 10 15 7 (Do their own trucking.) q -Miners 20 7 — No return of time worked. iVuokers'(shift) 12 4 3 1 8 3 7 9 3 11 1 9 5 m Miners 17 44 - No return of time worked. Trucl'ors (shift) 11 3 216 3 .31 10 34 10 8 7 Truckers (contract.) 20 9 - No return of time worked. Note—The miners' earnings aB shown above are the not amounts paid after deducting the cost of eiplosivcs.

'tho various districts, as mentioned by the federation in its statement. As against the increase in the cost of living, however, tlio federation knows that tho liiino worker has already hud his wages increased above all other workers. At tlio least, the rates have been increased by from 17A per cent, to 20 per cent., and then by reason of, more steady employment in the mines than ever before ninny workers arc earning 25 per cent,, 30 per cent., and even in some cases up to 50 per cent, more than in pre-war times, j Price of Coal. Tho association 'has no control whatever over the retail price of coai. With, it is believed, the exception of one company which' owns its own coal yards, the interest of the coal mine owner ceases when the coal is put either on the steamer or the railway truck. Therefore, to suggest that the coal mine owner as .such is responsible for the price charged to the consumer is unfair and misleading, espcei allj- ns the federation officials know tho position as well as the coal mine owners.

Every increase charged by the coal mine owners during the war period can bo fully justified and certainly the increases made are not nearly so high as might be supposed from the return published by the federation. Tho as sociation is not in a position to comment on retail prices except to say that, from the southern'mines at any rate, tlio proportion of household coal to coal used and sold for other purposes is comparatively small, and that while the State can and does retail household coal at a loss it is quite impossible for retail dealers to do so, and tho State charges at least us much as private companies for tlio coal it sells for industrial, Government, and other purposes.

| Hero again the federation has nttempt- ; ed to secure public sympathy by unfair i representations, and thus once more ex- | poses tho weakness of its ease. Tf the j federation is of the opinion that the retail pries charged for coal are too high. I it should report the ma I tor to tho Board of Trade, which is an institution set up to inquire into such circumstances. Oer- | tainly tlio federation-has no right, to lay I tho blame on the Coal Mine Owners' ! Association, which in no way fixes retail prices, and tlio former's officials know sufficient about tho business to be aware 1 ; that it was misleading the public when | it attempted to do so. Profits of Coal Mining, If the coal mining companies were making tho huge profits the federation desires to suggest are being made, the ! results would he shown in the balance sheets, the dividends paid and the interest on capital earned. A return recently prepared for tho confidential information of Government, and which f( r obvious reasons cannot be published, shows conclusively that coal mining operations on Hip whole have been disiinctly unprofitable. The return from nine representative companies shows, amongst other tliimjs. that- during the past three years four companies paid no dividends at all, only two paid dividends on each of the three years, and that while the average dividend paid by the live companies was : , about G per cent., the average spread ; over the whole nine companies was less ; than 1 per <wnt. The statement shows I'ii'i the capital invested in nine com- ; ; panic? was .'.'l ~101,7 fiG, while the average ' i inl'M'est "iirneil on the capital invested ' j was 3.V per cent. II Pacts like the above speak for them- ' j selves, and indicate plainlv to thoso who ; give careful consideration to thorn that (lie industry is not in a position to hear ; further burdens, and that, if the Miners' " Federation succeed in securing any further Increases in wages for the mine

work&rs of the Dominion Ihe burden must bo carried by the general public, including all other classes of workers, thus still furl her increasing the cost of living. Such an inevitable increaso in the 'price of coal does not square with the statement made by the federation "that in the course which they are .pursuing tho millers liavo been mainly influenced by the serious shortage of coal supplies at present existing and tho hardship tliut Iho shortage, entails, lo the public in general, but more particularly to tho poorer classes." Conclusion. In thus lengthily stating Hie position, the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association has endeavoured to place the whole position before tho public. If the jwople generally, or the New Zealand Government in particular, decide that "a little coterie meeting in Wellington," as described by the Crown Prosecutor, is to be allowed to treat agreements as mere ''scraps of paper," then the coal mine owners must submit to what they feel to be an almost intolerable state of things. The association is of the opinion that ! in justice lo its own members and in ! the interests of the general public it should not submit to demands which are i not justified, and which in fairness to ' the general body of mine workers it should be said do not come from them, | as the certain result of doing so must 1 lie as already indicated to raise the price of coal and thus further increase the cost of living. • The association is also of Hie opinion that, there is no duty east npon the Government. to force a consultation between the Coal Mine Owners' .Association and the Miners' Federation when tho circumstances are such as are set forth above.