COAL MINES DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 8

COAL MINES DISPUTE

EMPLOYERS REPLY

THE "CONDITIONS" APPEAL

A CLEAR EXPLANATION

MORE ABOUT "MINIMUM WAGE"

Reply to certain statements made by a deputation regarding the coal miners dispute to the Prime Minister and other members of the Government on Saturday morning has been made by tho Coal Mine Owners' Association, through the secretary of tho organisation, Mr. W. Pryor, iv J ho has sent the following .letter to tho Prime Minister:—

'Referring to the deputation from the Alliance of' Labour wh.ich interviewed' members of tho Ministry on Satift-day last I feel it is incumbent upon me aj secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association to deal with some ot tho statements made at the interview. It was shown at the conference to bo impracticable to frame conditions for a national agreement by representatives sitting in Wellington. The conditions ot minin» vary so greatly not only as between"districts. but as between mines m the same district, that to attempt to frame a national agreement at any conference would mean sitting for a penod of from three to six months, and even then it would be found that certain matters would have to be settled by those interested in the individual mines. What, in .effect, was suggested, by the employers was that a percentage increase in waxes should be agreed upon at.the conference, and that local conditions should be settled between the individual mines and the unions concerned. In the opinion of the coal mine owners and the mine managers who were present at the conference this presents the only practical means of dealing with the matters In dispute, so far as conditions of work are concerned.

Existing Agreements, The clnuso dealing with tho existing agreements only applied to ft few mines which had made agreements for definite fixed periods. Most of the agreements made were "for the duration of the war and for six months thereafter, and the Miners' Federation contended that these expired six months after the dato of tho armistice, while the employers were of the opinion that they did not terminate until-six months after the declaration regard to theso agreements the employers waived their contention and agreed, to discuss new terms,, but exempted from any agreement which might be made those mines whose agreement provided that they should operate until six months after the declaration of peace," an'fl one or two others which wero Se recently for fixed periods winch have Dot yet expired. So far as I am aware, these lattor conditions apply only to Kinpaka, miro. Waipa, Nightcaps, a,nd probably the Green Island mines, which do not employ anything like the proportion of workers stated by the deputation. The faot that the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association met the representatives of the Miners' MwafaM both in September last and at the present time is evidence that the mine owners have no desire to. dislocate the workers national organisation.

The Three Issues. With regard to the three issues put by Mr. Hampton, the answer must be, m view of tho.legislation adopted by Parliament last year, and t'l]e decisions of the Arbitration Court arising out of that legislation, that workers are entitled to a "wage equivalent to the vre-war wage, and that tho offer novy made, to the Miners' Federation provides more than that Government Statistician's latest returns show the following increases during the war period:—

For tihe,Dominion: H Food Groups only .... 41.26 percept, inc. Fowl and rent 24.91 per cent. inc.

For Greymouth

3 Food Groups only •••'• 32.0 per cent. inc. Food and rent 23.71 per cent. inc. Ureymouth is chosen a> > boing the source of supply for a large mining district, ana.the only centre for which returns are given* which will indication as to the inorease in the cost of Jiving in sijfh districts. . . . The Government Statistician, giving evidvnoe in connection with another dispute .recently, stated _ that assuming clothing had increased 100 per cent, during t)m war period ami miscellaneous items 10..p0r cent., an all-»un<i increase in the oi living woulci be 31 per cent. The Board of Trade report (page 79) gives ceriain int'cfni&tiun iegarding tiio cost oi ii'-wji states: "A combination tliuse two series of ng£*es yields a ssai <m<i general ot w pea- cent, increase in the expenditure on living by the mining population. It is therefore submitted . that con! mine owners in their recent offer, making a totul inorease of 35 per cent, to pieceworkers, and 15 per cent, to wages men during tho war period, have more than provided for a wage equivalent to tho pre-war wage, especially as more, continuous employment has been available daring tho war period than was the case previously. The above figures show.it is quite wrong to suggest that the increase in tho cost of living is in the neighbourhood of 55 per cent.

Wages or Conditions? It was stated by a member of the deputation that the dispute now was more largely a question o conditions than of wages. This is all veiy well, in view of the fact that the employers have oifered an increase in wages winch will involve an additional expenditure oi from <£135,000 to .*150,000 per annum and will mean that the consumers will have to pay as. fid. to 3s. a ton more for U °4n examination of the last proposals made by the federation shows that apart from tho actual increases m the rate of pay, out of 32 claims, 2o of them involve increased cxpenditnie piactically without any alterations in conditions. Of the others, No. 13 Vet places does not suggest any alterations ot conditions Ta al \i-w£proof Clothing: Employers propose to meet by instructing managers to provide where WWNo. 15.— Drinking AVatei: It wa=> P lO mised suitable arrangements would be made by mino managers. No. ill. —No trucking by miners is dealt'with below./ v n in is a preference clause. No '.12 proposes shorter hours on back Saturday, and No. 28 is for a minimum it* will W" l3 1)6 seCll i^ B f tion demands do not 'provide for any material alterations m conditions, but would impose upon all mines conditions ;hich!Z applicable gnlyU) certain individual mines. Trucking by Mintrs. Trucking by miners is not peculiar to New Zealand. It is done in other pails of tho world. As a matter ot fact tho mirstion as to whethov any trucking should bo done by minors or not is < letnr mined by the conditions m the indimines. In Australia, m quite a number of mines tracking is done by he miners, and that is the.ca.o al„o n New Zealand. Take for. instance Uw ration in the State mines and at u 11 Tho system of mining m Xtoquite dilfcU and. that in ifiMkball 5 necessitates a certain • of trucking bv the c too position t ilso m WwtV. ■niners who at present do pail ot tneu own trucking, siiould not continue that piacace. Earnings. Comparing tlio average earnings at the State mines , with te^thoi^m ir .

A rbiickle tho average at Point Elizabeth is life. 3d. per shift, ami at the Liverpool inino 20s. 7(1. Tho' Minors' Federation representatives are aware that owing 1« special circumstances operating at tho I'oint Elizabeth mine the average rate earned during recent months has been higher than would otherwise be the ease. A fair comparison with other mines might bo tho earnings in the Liverpool mines, since the increase in September last is from 225. to 235. per shift, so that with the increase now offered miners will be able k> earn an average of 235. 6d. to 245. per shift. As indicating the relation between prewar rates mid those at present being uaid, tho rates offered at the conference !>y the mine owners and the rates preposed by tlio federation,-1 include herewith tho copy of a statement prepared by Mr. T. 0. Bishop, Acting-Under-Sec-rotary <)f the Department, submitted to tho conference by the actingchairman (Sir. Reece).

This is based upon the earnings of the State mine workers, bnt may bo taken as a comparison of the increases in the Dominion generally. Miners' present average, XI 2s. 9d., oft'c-red 10 per cent, increase, which, will make the average .£1 ss.

a# qS d £* . T g Isi 0§ ' "a * i-S 3* .gsu ga 1 S3 &S a® S-§ a. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Truckers and horse drivers .... 10 6 13 8 15 2 17 6 Men in * charge rope road 10 6 13 0 15 2 17 9 Rope road workers, 19 years and over 10 0 13 0 14 6 17 fi 18-19 years.. — 9 9 IV 3 14 7 17-18 years... — 8 5 9 8 12 11 16-17 years... — 7 2 8 3 11 3 15-16 years... - 510 6 8 9 9 Started at 4s. 6d. per day, with an increase of fid. per day each* half-year. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Screen workers 19 years and over... 10 0 13 0 14 fi IS 3 18-19 years... 7 0 9 1 10 1 13 9 17-18 years... 60 79 88 12 2 16-17 years... 50 GB 7 3 95 15-16 years... 40 53 59 90 15 years .... 40 53 60 73 Tippers .... 10 0 13 0 14 6 16 3 Lamp trim- 1 mers 10 0 13 0 14 6 16 3 Carpenters 11 4 14 9 16 5 18 4 Blacksmiths 11 4 14 9 16 5 18 4 Yardmen and other outside workers ... <10 0 13 0 15 0 16 3 Tool sharpen- ' , ers 10 6 13 S 15 0 18 4 Minimum Wage,

The demand, for a "minimum wage" must not be taken to mean the minimum wage usually referred to in Arbitration Court awards and industrial agreements generally. What is asked for is really a "guarantee wage." Iu other words it is desired that pieceworkers should be guaranteed a certain wage 110 matter how little work they may do. The proposal ia an insidious attempt to securo the abolition of the coutraot and piecework; systems, as with the high minimum rate demanded (18s.) per day it is probable that many miners would be content to) work slowly and accent the guarantee wage, especially as there is always the hope that ere long the rate might be incieastti to 205., per day or over. /

That the minimum wage iu the State mines agreement has not been taken advantage' of is almost certainly due to the fact that it-was fixed at such a low figure that it would not pay miners to take advantage of it. The experience at Taupiri a few years ago was a very different one, however. There, the minors definitely restricted the amount of work done to as to come under the minimum wage clause. The Arbitration Court commented on this fact in its memorandum, and 6tated: —

"It was alleged by the company that, in practice, an unfair use had;been made of this clause, and that it was a temptation to some miners to avoid doing a fair day's work. The figures given in evidenco by the company as«to payments under this clause are significant. They are as follow.

"For the year ended March 28, 1908, ji27S 125., /or t.'io year ended March 27, 11109, i! 800 3s. 3d.; for the period March 27, i 1909, to March 12, 1910, .£1337 17s. 2d. No attempt was made by the union to explain this large increase in payments under the clause; and, without some satisfactory explanation, these figures support the view that the company's'grievance with regard to the matter is well founded.

"The Court decided, therefore, to omit !i:t claim in question from the present ward, and Ims substituted for it a comprehensive deficient place clause."

It may be taken for granted that the coal mine owners are not prepared to risk another experience of the kind, and will not i.a any chcumstances agree to ths insertion of tiie minimupi wage clause asked for by tha federation. Provision is, however, mado in agreements for difficult places by means of what is termed a "deficient place" clause, where ordinary wAgas cannot . be made by miners, or flatting them on shift wages whilst the special conditions continue.

Nationalisation of Industry. Taking into consideration the ejaiius mads by the federation as also the last proposals at the conference, and the attitude of the deputation which met 'you on Saturday, it is evident to coal mine owners that the present demands indicate « determined attempt to mnke coal-mining so unprofitable as to cause the mines under private ownership to ciot=e down, and thus compel iiovernmont to consider the nationalisation of the mines. Indeed, it is quite clearly stated by the deputation that this is the - only bolutioii. That being the case it appears to be futile for employers U> endeavour to arrange a settlement which will be satisfactory to themselves, arid at the same time protect the interests of the community generally.

Conclusion. The coal mine owners are of the opinion that so far as increases in "the rates of pay r.re concerned they havo conceded as much as is possiblo in tho circumstances. Any increase given must bo passed -on to the consumers, and must, therefore, add to- tho already high cost of living. It will also affect all our industries, and will have far-reaching effects generally. The rates already paid are high, and the effect of 1/lio employers' offer will he to raise tho earning power of mine employees considerably above those of most, other classes of workers. That being the case, it is submitted, that the employers havo done everything in their power to secure a settlement and cannot, therefore, accept any responsibility if "tho federation representatives cannot see their way to recommend ac-. eeptance "f tho employers' terms by the members of the various unions.