THE WAIHI DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 8

THE WAIHI DISPUTE

COAL MINERS CONCERNED

STATEMENT BY FEDERATION

SECRETARY

The strike of .engineers and miners at Waihi may implicate the Miners' Federation, according to the secretary of that body, Mr. J". Arlmcklc. The Waihi union is affiliated with tho federation. Tho agreement between tho union and the gold-mining companies expired in February, and a conference was hold to discuss K new agreement. This conference failed to arrange a <?ettlem?nt. The compAnies subsequently mnde an ■'•flier, which the union rejected.. The federation then sought another conference between the union and tho companies, but this was refused.

The reply of tho companies to tho request for f. second conference was -as follows:—"In reply to yours of March 11, in which you suggest n. further conference between the mining companies and your union, whilst always willing: to give the representatives of your union an opportunity of discussing any matter in dispute with us, as tho parties only recently concluded a three days' conference, at which all matters in dispute were exhaustively considered, and as you do not mention any new points for discussion, we fail to see what good purpose could bo served by a further conference. (& explained at the recent conference, the vei-y substantial increases in pay and other concessions granted [by the employers represented the limit which they felt justified in offering, and as regards the matter of overtime rates, and other working conditions, we. think these are mattsrs for an Arbitration Court ruling. In our opinion, tho parties having failed to agree, the proper course for the uniDii is to file a dispute with the Arbitration Court. In the meantime the companies are quite prepared to continue paying the rates offered at tho Tecent conference, and generally to abide by the conditions, of that offer. Wo agree with your statement that there is great dissatisfaction with tho terms the men are at present working underj _ but on the contrary have reason to beliove that the majority of the men are well satisfied with the concessions made by the companies at the recent conference. Of course, if tliero are any now points jour union desires to bring forward wo shall bo pl?.ased to consider them." Mr. Arbuckle stated yesterday that the Waihi miners would not return to work until they were granted "a living wage" by the companies. "It is not only the Bold miners who are affected," he said, "because they aro affiliated with the coal miners, nnd the latter will certainly not allow the Waihi gold companies to literally starve their employees—and that is what the present offer as regards wages means. It is to he hoped that the Government will not allow the wealthy companies, such as tho Waihi, to decline to pay wages which would be on a level with those earned by general labourers' engaged in surface work. Personally, I H'ould favour a course of notion whereby the federation would, assist the wivji and children of-tho gold miners to remove to the coal mining areas, where the nu-n' would be able to earn monej more in keeping with the cost, of living."

Miners' Demands.The gold miners aro demanding'a 41hour week for all workers; except for men employed •in hot, wet, or gassy places, who shall work sii hours per shift and five shifts, per week. The hours now vary from 45 to 4S per week. Th| wages asked, fc/r nre as follow:— Minimum -/wages for surface and underground workers: Surface 17s„ underground 17s. Gd. per shift. (Present rates 9s. Gd. to lis 1 . 3d.); braccmen and ehanibemnen 21s. Bd. (9s. 3d nnd 9s Gd.); pitmen 235. -4d., tool-sharpeners 21e. (9s. fid.); other men in proportion. The existing wages,-, which are given in-pnrentheses in each case, carry a war bonus of Is. 3d. per day.

Tho union also asks for absolute preference to members, 2s. Gd. per hour "dirt money," 'and 7s. Gd.'per hour for all salvage work. It demands that overtime shall be paid for at the rate of time and a half for. tho first two hours, and thereafter double timo, nil work done on Sundays,, and close holidays to be., paid for at tlio rate of double time. Several other important conditions appear under tho heading of general.

\ Tho Counter Offer,

The offer made by the companies, representing an increase of Is. 9d. on tho rates in • the ohl agreement, is as 'follows:—

To agree to a forty-four hour week for inou working shifts in batteries, provided that in respect to the three four-hour shifts to bo worked each week, a man to bo relieved must carry on for a further four hours without receiving overtime rates if his muto fails to turn up for work. This arrangement to start on Monday, February lli, at S a.m. Believing that tho cost of living will not be seriously reduced during tho next two years, wo agreo to merge the proposed war bonus of two shillings into wages, and we now offer a ilat riso.of three shillings per day to tho minimum rate for each grade of workers on the schedule in tho last agreement. That will make the minimum rate for any adult worker 12s. 3d. per day, on which existing overtime rates will bo paid. All men work-' ing seven shifts per week for not less than forty weeks in tho year shall be entitled to seven days' holidays on lull pay each year. All other conditions to bo. the same as in the old agreement. The rates offered will bo paid as from February 8. '

With regard to preference, the employers stipulatd that those six men vho are at present exempted from joining tho union are to continue in that position, if they desire it.

PKOLONGED. STRUGGLE FEARED. By Telegraph-Press Association., Waihi, March 23. Tho Waihi strike, involving idleness to 800 or 901! men, commenced to-day, hut apart from the men seen taking their belongings from tho mines and a few additional men about tho streets there was nothing to. indicate the existence of what may prove to lie a prolonged dispute. It is felt that unless an early settlement is reached large numbers of strikers will leave the town, as no ar< raiigements appear to have been made for strike pay, though it is understood that the Coal Miners' Federation will assist in tho removal of workers' families to other parts of the Dominion,

The Miners' Union, in an .official statement issued to-day, points out that' the local unions are in harmony and that no meu will resume work ' until such time as the mine owners are prepared to grant the demand for 10s. 3d. daily to wages men about tho batteries anil mines nnd the overtime rates demanded by the engineers. Meanwhile the horses, ammunition nnd other requisites used underground have been brought out of tho mines under instructions from the respective managements, thus suggesting that the mino owners anticipate a prolonged strike.