COAL-MINING DISPUTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 245, 10 July 1920, Page 8

COAL-MINING DISPUTES

—— a , INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE . BETWEEN MINE OWNERS' AND WORKERS' ■ ORGANISATIONS Following is a copy of recent correspondence between Iho secretary of'the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association (Mr. W. Pr.yor) and tho secretary of the New Zealand Miners' Federation (Mr. J. Arbuckle) with reference to the coal mines dispute:— Mr. Pryor wrote on July S:— "I understand from Mr. Massey that your federation is agreeable to submit mo matters in dispute to a committee consisting of tho Prime Minister as chairman, with i'mir representatives from each side, and that in th& event of tho coal mino owners' representatives and Miners' Federation representatives being; unable to agree, tho Prime Minister should act as arbitrator, wid that his decision should be final arid Wilding on both'sides. Mr. Massey has informed me tint h<J will be prepared to meet the representatives on Saturday next, July 10, at 2.30 ;P.m. I think, however, it is necessary to agreo to tho matters which are to be dealt with by the committee. So far 09 I am aware, they are as under:— "Green Island: Question of pre-wai rate for hewing, and" the wages payable to a horse driver. . "Hikurangi: Question of rate to bn paid for double shifts. (The association is prepared to confirm tbfe agreement arrived at on the other points which were in dispute, if your federation will SO' agree.) "luripaka: Question of pre-war rates." "We Do Not Agree." Mr ArbucMo replied: "In reply to your letter of even dale, in which you state that you understand I from Mr. Massey that my federation is agreenblo to submit the matters in dispute to a committee consisting pf the Prime Minister as chairman, witii four representatives from each side, and that in tho event of the coal mine owners' representatives and Miners' Federation representatives being unable to agree, the Prime Minister shall act as arbitrator, mid his decision be final and binding on both sides, I must inform you that we do not agree to the above suggestion, and that we only agreed to meet at a conference with a view to settling the following disputes:— "Green Island: Question of fixing the method of arriving at the increase due. Mr. Manderson's "oinstatement. The application of the settlement in Tegards to Taratu mino to the whole of the 'bottom 6eam, and also to Barclay's mino. .Nightoap's, incrertse3 and retrospective pay. We agree to the settlement of Hikurangi dispute, except double sMft, but suggest that the matter of increased pay for backshift truckers on contract be settled lon tho lines of those at Huntly. Kiripaka, question of increase." "A Trial of Strength?" Mr. Pryofs rejoinder was as foKows:- , ?7 e . ac l™n#dge receipt of your letter of Bth instant? and hive to express ray regret that in view of the act hat the National Disputes Comn, ! lees have not been able to arrive at a settlement of various matters, your federation is not agreeable to abide by tho uecision of the Prime Minister, who, as chairman rf tho recent National Confer- ? 2' IS °f cl l in th ,° . tet Position to judge the real intention of tho parties when drawing up the agreement. In any case the parties have arrived at a. deadlock, and ft appears to me that ■* ? ° nl f, ">' "I* wto call in some outside authority to decide between them. Ihe questions now in dispute having epeebve districtsi in which they origintees in conference extending over a connS le nT' ,0r of (h ™ ifc (lo <* S unlikely that agreement can be arrived at by what is practically a repetition of that proceeding. This association is quite prepared to adopt your suggestion for a further conference with the Prinio Minister as .chairman, so long as it is understood that any matter then unsetbe submitted for tho chairmans decision; such decision to be final and binding on all parties. The attitude of your federation, howover appears to be that unless its demands are acceded to, it will, not agreo that any outside authority B hould decide Assuming the parties cannot'agreo at the propped further conference, and it seems that is likely to be the position, how are the matters in dispute to be settled if your federation will not agree to the appointment of an arbitraDoes yonr federation suggest tho sottlement should resolve itself into a tv , M L o! str , 6ngth > say by the adoption of the go-slow policy, which I understand ha.s already been decided upon by your rederation, or any other means winch may bo chosen, and which at best can oif.y brin,g disastrous results to th<j rest of the community '■Jne questions in dispute must be settled "by some mean 9 or other, and I submit tho proposal for the appointment of an arbitrator is the best means of securing their being promptly and effectively dealt with. In that connection I think it advisable to refer to the different proposals which have been made and suggest yon. should state in detail your federation's objections to each of these. In the fir=t place, Uie employers' representatives offered, in keeping with the terms of tho national agreement, to endeavour to arrange that the parties should agree to the appointment of a chairman whose decision should be final and binding on both sides. That suggestion' was turned down favour federation's .representatives, Following that, a't a. joint conference with the Prime Minister the employers offered to agree to a chairman who should be either (a) the. Primp Minister himself, (W one appointed by the Prime Minister, (e) one of fournominated by tho Prime Minister who should bo agreed upon by the parties. The only condition imposed was that the decision of any chairman who was appointed should be final and binding on both parties, lour federation, however, declined to agree to any one of the propositions thus made, in fact it indicated that the policy of the federation was that it would not accept any settlement of the matters in dispute other than a.n entire agreement with its own demands. Later, ■ the Prime Minister suggested ho should appoint Mr. F. V. Frnxer. That suggestion also did not meet with the approval of vour federation, which proposed that Mr. P. Holly should he appointed. And here comes the most astonishing part of the whole • proceedings. When this association signified its acceptance of the federa. tion's proposal that Mr. Holly should be chairman, it was met with the announcement that your federation would not agree to the .appointment of even its own nominee, and thus a position has been created which it is difficult to know how to deal with. "It would be interesting to learn here, short of absolutely acceding to Hie demands of your federation, or indulging in industrial strife, it is proposed by yon to settle tiie dspntes which exist, if bud or other of the proposals made or accepted by this association is not adopted. I lmvo by telegraph, submitted to the ' members of this association the proposal you liavo now made for a further con- ' foronco under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister without that gentleman : having the right of decision regarding any points remaining; in dispute, and I will let you know their decision as. early I as I possibly eau. \ "Referring now to the additional matters to be dealt with as Teforred to in ' your letter, I havo to direct your at- ■ twition to the fact that the Taratu 'dis- '■ puto was settled by the National Dis- < putes Committee unanimously deciding 1 that tho extra payment per ton should 1 apply only to tho dip section by reason i if the ppecial conditions operating there, c What is the reason for vour federation c now proposing to make it apply to tho ivholo seam and to Barclay's mine as r well? Tho national agreement specifi- c lally provides that the decision of the r National Disputes Committee shall bo 1 iiral and binding on nil parties to any f lispute.' and yet your federa ton pro- t poses to upset a decision unanimously <' li-rivcd at only a week or two ago. s "I. wilL refer tho other disputes mentioned to the companies interested, and i ii'ill ascertain if they can be dealt with ' it the samo time as these set out in my otter to you. Ynu arc, .of course, iware, of the position with regard to Ivightcans, and that the association has li 10 authority to deal with disputes in I hat mine.' « I*