STRIKERS FINED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 228, 20 June 1919, Page 6

STRIKERS FINED

THE TROUBLE AT GEEEN ISLANfc ' MINE.

By Tcleeraph-Prees Association

" Dunedin, .Tune 19. In the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr. Widdowson, S.M, the Inspector of Awards claimed to recover .£lO as a penalty against each of twenty men for a breach of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act by becoming party to the suike by the Green Islaud Coal Miners Union, 'while hound by an industrial fltrrcßiucnl". ' Mr Irwin, for the defendants, admitted tho offence. He said that the miners had applied to the owners for a change of conditions in connection with two matters. Tho employers declined to entertain the suggestions, pointing out that they were already working under agreement. The local union secretary comniuiiicatcd with the Wellington and Dominion secretaries, who advised referring the matters in dispute to tho Disputes Committee. The men waited on one of the ownors, and asked that the owners nominnte three representatives to the Disputes Committee. That was not done. That was before the strike occurred. One of the two demands made had now been acceded to, but the other was still in abeyance, until a Dominion alteration had been made, the men said. The owners refused to nominate three representatives to the committee. The. men hail named their representatives, although not in writing. Most of the defendants were married. . ' Mr. - Ma'cGregor, representing the Labour Department, said the men wanted to upset the award on two cardinal poinis, and the owners could not possibly meet them. Both sides were bound by the award, which could not be upset because the men wanted more wages. Under tho Act the union must do all in its power to prevent a strike, but instead it did its utmost to precipitate a strike. The owners had had a hard struggle to keep fires in the mines under. A deputation from the men to Christis Bros, threatened on Wednesday that if the cases were not withdrawn the men would not go to work this morning. The pits wero idle this morning, and the bulk of the men wero in court. That in the eye of the law was another strike. - Mr. Irwin: The president of the union suysl 'that if a statement,, was made threatening a further, strike it was not made under instructions from (he union, or by any deputation sent by the union. The union did not send a deputation to tho owners. The Magistrate said that any stnko of this kind was a 6erious matter, not only to the.miners but to tho employers; and from the public point of view it was very serious to consumers. He thought 'the lowest penalty lie could impose was a fine of JC2 each, with costs lis. Bd.