THE COAL DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 138, 6 March 1920, Page 6

THE COAL DISPUTE

MINIMUM WAGE QUESTION,

Tlio agreement drafted by the recent Coal Conference, and accepted subsequently by the mine unions, provxled that miners working on tonnage rates •should rccoivo a minimum'average wage of 12s. q shift. The wording of the clause was as follows:—"Miners working on tannage rates who shall be unable, through no fault of their own, to earn an average of 13s. per shift for each fortnightly 'period, shall be paid such an amount as jnny. be necessary to bring lip their earnings to such an average." lilr. J. Ar'buckle, secretary of the Miners' Federation, is reported to have said yesterday tjiat while the agreement stipulated for a minimum wage of 12s. per shift, "it was essential to note that that carried a tonus of GO per cent., bringing the minimum to 10s. Gd. per shift." This statement is of interest, ill view of tho fact that one of the demands made originally by the mi'iars, and firmly resisted by the employers, was for a minimum wage of .£1 a day. The clause governing the, payment or the bonus reads as follows:—Employees working on piecework to be granted an increase in wages of 50 per cent, on the pre-war rates paid it; the respective mines. Employees working on day wages to bo granted an increase of 80 per cent, on the pre-war rates paid at the respective mines. It is an express condition that the above bonuses are granted to day anil pieceworkers, upon nrc-war rates except in the case of shiftmen, who shall be pa'd a flat rate (without, bonus) of 18s. per shift; and that neither the rates of pav nor tho bonuses shall be altered or amended during the term of this agreeAll' rates of pay carrying bonus shall be converted into flat rates. In calculating tile flat rates, the rates for day wages men shall be taken to the nearest penny and tonnage rates to the nearest farthing.