COAL MINES DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 278, 20 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 the Coal Mine Owners' Association, through the secretary of the organisation, Mr. W. l'ryor, u J ho has sent tho following letter 'to the Primo Minister:—

Referring to the deputation from the

Alliance of Lnbour whioh interviewed members of tho Ministry on Saturday last, I feel it is incumbent upon mo as secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association to deal with some of the statements made at the interview. It was shown at tho conference to be impracticable to frame conditions for a national agreement by representatives sitting, in Wellington. The conditions of mining vary so greatly not only as between districts, but as between mines m the eamo distriot, that to attempt to frame a national agreement at any conference would moan sitting for a period of from three to sis months, and even then it would bo 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 increaso in wages should be agreed upon at the conference, and that local conditions should bo 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 tho oonferenoe this presents tho only practical means of dealing with tho matters in dispute, so far as conditions of work are concerned. Existing Agreements.

Tihe clause dealing with tho existing agreements only applied to tt'lew mines which had made agreements for definite fixed periods. Most of tho agreements mado were "for the duration of the war. and for six months thereafter," and the Miners' Federation contended that these expired six months after the date of the armistice, while the employers wero of the opinion that they did not terminate until six months after the declaration of peace. With regard to these agreements the omployers waived their contention and agreed to discuss now terms, but exempted from any agreement' wlbich might he made those mines whose ngreoment provided that they should operate until six months after. the declaration of peace," and one or two others which wero made recently for fixed periods which have not yet expired. So far a 9 I am aware, these latter conditions apply only to Kiripaka, P«hemiro. Waipa. Nightcaps, und probably the Green Island mines, which do not omploy anything like tho proportion of workers stated by the deputation. The fact that the Now Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association mot the representatives of tho Miners' Federation both in September last and at tho present time is evidence that the mine owners have no desire to dislocato the workers national organisation.

■ The Three Issues. With regard to the three issues put •by Mr. Hampton, the answer must be, in view of tho legislation adopted by Parliament last year, and tihe decisions of the Arbitration Court arising out of that legislation, that-workers aro entitled to a wago equivalent to tho pre-war wage, and that tho offer now made to the Miners' Federation provides more than that equivalent. The Government Statistician s latest returns show the following increases during the war period:— For tihe Dominion:

? Food Groups only .... 41.26 per cejit. inc. Pood and rent 24.91 per cent. inc. For Greymouth:

3 Food Groups only .... 32.9 per cent. inc. Food and rent 23.74 per cent. inc.

Greymouth is chosen as boing the source of supply for a largo mining district, and the only contre lOr which returns are given wliich will giuiyjome indication as to the increase in the cost ot living in sijih districts. _ _ Tho Government Statistician, giving evidence in connection with another dispute recently, stated that assuming clothing had increased 100 per cent, during thß war period and miscellaneous items 10 per cent., an all-round increase iu tho cost of living would ba Hi per cent. The Board of Trade report (page 79) gives certain information regarding tho cost of living, and states "I combination of th&se ■ two series of figures yields a final and general result of 35 pea' cent, increase in the expenditure on living by tho mining populatiou. It is therefore submitted that ooal mj.no owners in their recent offer, making a total increase of 35 per cent, to pieceworkers, and 45 per cent, to wages men during the war period, have more than provided for a wage. equivalent to tho pre-war wage, especially as more continuous employment has been available during the war period than was the case previously. Tho above figures show it is quito 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 tho deputation that the dispute now was more largely h, question ot conditions than of wages. This is all very well, in.view of the fact that tho employers havo offered an increase in wages which will involve an additional expenditure ot from JJ125.000 to .£150,000 per annum and will mean that tho consumers will have to pay 2-s. (Kl. to 3s. a ton more for Ail examination of the last proposals made l>y tho federation shows that apart from tho actual increases iu tho rato ot pay, out of 32 claims, _35 of them involve increased expenditure practically without any alterations in conditions. Of tho others, No. 13 wet places, does not suggest any alterations of conditions generally operating. / No. It—Waterproof Clothing: Jimplovers propose to meet by instructing managers to provide whero necessai}. No. 15— Drinking Water: It was promised suitable arrahgements would be made bv mine managers. No. IB.—No trucking by miners is dealt with below. No. 1!) is a preference clause. No 22 proposes shorter hours on baeK Saturday, and No. 28 is for a minimum " if 6 will thus be seen that the federation demands do not provide lor any material alterations in conditions, but would impose upon all mines conditiMis which aro applicable only to certain .-i dividual mines.

Trucking by Miners. /Truekiu" by miners is not peculiar to New Zealand, it is done in other pari* of the world. As a matter ot lack tho question as. to whether any trucking should 1)0 done by minors or not is determined by the conditions in tho individual mines. In Australia. in quite a. number of mines, trucking is dono bj the miners, and tlint is tho case also m New Zealand. Take for. instance tho position in tho Stato mines and at ElMll. 'I'' lo system of mining in inch is quite different, and . that ill lilac!:bull necessitates a certain a' l '™ ll of trucking by tho miners. J.n«t is tho position also in the Ureen Island mines and at Nightcaps and. elsewhe e Tn miv case where trucking is done bj miners, tho price paid includes the time occupied in trucking, with'the result that miners who do their own trucking oiiru on the averago qu.ito JS much as Chose win) do no trucking at all. it tho federation were desirous ol do „ the lair thing it would suggest that there should lie a reduction m Uie piecework rates when it is requested a millers who at present do part of U en own trucking, should not continue that practice. Avsragc Earnings. Comparing tho averago earnings at the State mines with'those in other mjnea, it is obgarved that according to 1

Arbuckle the average at Point Elizabeth i 3 2t3. 3d. per shift, and at the Liverpool mine 20s. 7<l. Tho Miners' Federation representatives are aware that owiiii' to special' circumstances operating at the Point Elizabeth mine tho average ral;o earned during recent months has been higher ihnn would otherwise be the case. A fair comparison with other mints might bo tho earnings in tho Liverpool mines, since tho increase in September last is from 225. to 235. per shift, 60 that with the increase now offered imtteis will ho able to earn au avorage of 235. Cd. to 245. par'shift.

As indicating the relation between prewar rates and those at present bsing paid, the rates offered at the oonforenee by the wino owners and tho rates preposed by the federation, I include herewith tlio copy of a statement prepared by Mr. T. 0. Bishop, Acting-Under-Sec-retary of the Alines Department, submitted to the conference by the actingchairman (Mr. Reece).

This is based upon the earnings of the State mine workers, but may bo taken as a comparison of the increases in the Dominion generally. ' Miners' present average, „C 1 2s. 9d., offered 10 per cent, increase, which will make the average .£1 ss. T-i ■ cS s- I* *1 li U ■ ||' Yb ft 2 fk 0 S'd ti. d. s. d. .6. d. s. d. Iruckers and horse drivers .... 10 6 13 8 15 2 17 6 Men in charge rope road 10 S 13 0 15 2 17 9 Hope rond workers, 19 years and Over 10 0 13 0 M 6 17 fi 18-19 years.. — 9 9 11 3 14 7 17-18 years... - 8.5 9 8 12 11 16-17 years... - 7 1 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 16 3 18-19 years... 7 0 9 1 10 1 13 9 17-18 years... 6 0 7 9 8 8 12 2 IG-17 years... 50 66 73 95 15-16 years... 40 53 59 90 15 years .... 4 0 5 3 6 0 > 7 3 Tippers .... 10 0 13 0 14 6 16 3 Lamp trimmers 10 0 13 0 14 6 16 3 Carpenters 11 i 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 sharpeners 10 6 18 8 15 0 18 4 Minimum Wage. s The demand for a "minimum wage" must _ not bo 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." In other words it is. desired that pieceworkers should be guaranteed a certain wage no matter how little work tliejr may do. Tho proposal is an insidious attempt to securo tho abolition or' the contract and piecework systems, as with the high minimum rato demanded (18s.) per day it is probable that many miners would be content to work slowly, and accept the . guarantee wage, especially as there is always the hope tlmt ere long tho rate might increased to 20s. per day or over.

That the minimum wags in the State raines 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 et Taupiri a few years ago was a very different one, however. There, the miners definitely restricted . the amount of work done so as to come under the minimum, wage clause, 'l'ho Arbitration Court commented on this fact in its memorandum, and stated:—

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

"For tho year ended March 28, 3908, -C 278 '125., for' t!ie year ended- March 27, IUOS, .EBOO 3s. 3d. j for the period March 27, 1909, to March 12, 1910, .£1337 17s. 2d. No attempt was made by tho union to explain this larga 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 wfell founded.

"The Court decided, therefore, to omit the clause in question from tho present award, and has 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 esperieneo of the kind, and will not in any circumstances agree to the insertion of tlio minimum wage clause asked for by the federation. Provision is, however, made in agreements for difficult places by means of what is termed a "deficient place" clause, where ordinary wages cannot be . made by minors, by putting them on shift wages whilst the special conditions continue. Nationalisation of Industry. Taking into consideration the claims made by tba federation as also the last proposals at the conferonce, and the attitude of the deputation which met you on Saturday, it is evident to coal mine owners that the present demands indicate a determined attempt to make coal-mining so unprofitable as to cause the mines under private ownership to close down, and thus compel Government to consider the nationalisation of tlie mines. Indeed, it is quite clearly stated by the deputation that this is *tbe- only solution. That being the case it appears to bo'futile for employers to endeavour to arrange a settlement which will be satisfactory to themselves, and 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 ov pay ars concerned they have conceded as much as is possible in tho circumstances. Any increase given must be 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. 'J'he rates already paid are high, aud the effect of tho employers' offer will be to raise the earning power of mine employees considerably above (hose 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 the federation representatives cannot see their way to recommend acceptance of the employers' terms by tho members of the various unions.