TWO SHIFTS DAILY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 196, 17 May 1944, Page 7

TWO SHIFTS DAILY

Australian Plan To Meet Coal Output Lag ;By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (Received May 16, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 16. To assist in overtaking the lag in coal production, the Miners’ Federation will be asked to consent to two shifts daily in many New South Wales mines. The request will be made at an Australia-wide conference of trades unions in Melbourne early next month. The Miners’ Federation will be told that miners in the army and munitions work will be returned to the industry as speedily as possible. The federation will be asked to sanction.the placing of additional labour in the mines by working less skilled men with trained and experienced miners. If the federation consents, it is expected 1 that about 2000 men will be inducted into the coalmining industry. So far, the federation policy lias been opposed to the working of a second shift unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Forde, will preside at the union conference, where means to increase Australian coal production b.v about 1.250,000 tons a year will be the principal business for discussion. Recent daily production figures in New South Wales mines promise an increase of about 600,000 tons a year, but coal experts say that even the maintenance of this increased production cannot preven r drastic fuel rationing this winter. To keep the war effort at a maximum and allow fuel cuts to be removed, New South Wales miners must produce 12,501). 000 tons this year. On the average daily production for the first quarter of this year. New South Wales production for the year would fall about 2,000,000 tons short of the required output.