CIRCULAR TO MINERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 138, 7 March 1921, Page 9

CIRCULAR TO MINERS

REGARDING STOPPAGES OF WORK

Workers’ ’ Industrial Union of Australia (mining department) has forwarded the following statement to the New Zealand Miners’ Federation, and it has been circulated a mon g_ all t!he miners’ unions of the Dominion :—

"The action of the British capitalist, the Broken Hill companies, the Victorian Government, and tho Broken Hill Proprietary Company, and now, according to iho 'Sydney Morning lierald’ and the ‘Daily Telegraph," if these qapers can be regarded as authorities, lhe threatened action of coalowners, has the appearance of a cunningly conceived, and noiv rapidly developing plan, to flood the Inborn- market with unemployed with t'he object of dealing a crushing blow to organised workers, as a preliminary to enforcing a general reduction of their standard of living. We understand that the latest, capitalist importation from America is n so-called industrial expert (with strong Bolshevik tendencies). We have also been advised that the industrial expert has advised that "American tactics should be adopted in Australia for the purpose of subduing the unruly workers, namely, throw them out of work, reduce them to starvation. and then diedate the conditions upon which they should be allowed to live. , "We have known for some time that in certain quarters there has been a keen desire io get the miners to fall into Che tran baited for the seamen in the form of’the stewards’ dispute, but, up to the present, much to the chagrin of certain capitalist financiers, neither kho seamen nor the minerk have taken the bait. According to the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ and ‘Daily Telegraph’ this band of conspirators are becoming exasperated lest their bait should rot and reveal the hook before they have landed their big fish. Their exasperation is probably increased by riie knowledge that the community in general is beginning to realise the treachery of this gang of national robbers -who are anxious to reduce ivages, but retain their fabulous war-time profits. “Six months ngo we were accused ot fomenting <i strike. Me accepted a tribunal, and arrived at an agreement. Immediately afterwrds we wore accused of practising a go-slow policy. « ccu - sstion has been overwhelmingly disproved bv rte minez inspector’s report, which shewed that there has been an enormous increase in output from the mines during 1920. Now, we apo aociitod of deliberately prosecuting an irritation strike policy, which we emphatically deny. That many isolated stoppages have taken place ©ver apparently trivial matters we do not deny, and we are doing our Lest to mitigate this evil, but nt the same time ws definitely assert in many instances they are due to the harassing t»eti<-s of the management. "Whilst the cpalownete are naturally annoyed nt stoppage:’ of work, which must, have a preiudici.il effect upon the. earning power of their capital, considering the exccedinidy good wicket many of them are on with the present price of coal, wc find it hard to believe Hint there is a general desire amongst coalowners to precipitate a lock-out, that is, of course, unless they have received instructions from the bosses of their One Big Union to f nll into lino in a general attack nn Tft'bour. regardless of their immediate person-11 internists. On the other hand, we are quite satisfied that there is no movement or desire amongst the miners to bring about a position which would bring untold suffering to thousands of their fellows. "Tn conclusion, we strongly urge our members not to allow thcmfelves io be p-ovoked into petty stoppages over matters which should bo easily adjusted without any stoppage of work, and thereby provide the coalowners with a reason, or an excuse for participating in the apparently general lock-out policy of the Employers’ Federation.