WAIHI STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 154, 25 March 1920, Page 5

WAIHI STRIKE

STATEMENT BY MINE OWNERS

UNION'S REFUSAL OP ' ARBITRATION

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Auckland, March 21. . Tho following statement regarding the strike at Waihi has been supplied for publication'by Mr. Charles Rhodes, president of the Gold Mine Owners' Association, and local director,of tho Waihi Gold Mining Co., Ltd.: "Whilst originating in the demands of the two unions now on strike—the Ohinemuri branch of the Amalgamated Engineers and the Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Union—for increased rates of pay and other concessions, the immediate cause'of the present strike was the -refusal of both unions to submit matters in dispute to the Arbitration Court. It is obvious that there will always be room for genuine differences of opinion between employers and employees on questions' of how far men are entitled to be compensated for the increased cost of living and of what is a reasonable rate of remuneration for overtime and what should be the hours of .-work. The parties after three days' conference having failed to agree on these matters, representatives of the gold mining companies suggested that 'the only way out was to obtain a ruling from the Court. The representatives of the union positively refused to adopt this course and representatives of the companies having' made all concession which they, as trustees for their respective companies, felt justified in making and the unions having refused .to accept these offers, a deadlock resulted. "That the representatives of the companies endeavoured to meet the men in a sympathetic and conciliatory spirit is shown by the offers made (here Mr. Rhodes details at length the offers in question). The attitude of the companies has all along been one of willingness to submit their differences of opinion to arbitration. It is, of course, notorious that neither side ought to bo plaintiff, judge, and jury too, but it would seem as if the unions want to be in that position. "Obviously the strike will be costly to both sides and injurious to the whole community of /Waihi, but it appears to the companies from the history of the coal mines dispute that concessions, no matter how liberal, will not buy peace, and as the unions will not consent to arbitration there seems no other course open- to the companies at present than to accept the position forced upon theni and await developments."

PLEA FOR A LIVING WAGE. Waihi, March 24. At a largely-attended meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, it was resolved: "That, in the opinion of this meeting, a reasonable.-living wage .should be given the, workers, and unless the Government takes immediate steps to effect an amicable settlement of. the strike, it is feared tbac disaster and T"ination to hundreds of homes will result."