Gold Miners’ Dispute.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 229, 5 October 1901, Page 3

Gold Miners’ Dispute.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, last night. The Arbitration Court’s decision in the gold miners’ dispute, which was looked for with the greatest interest owing to its influence on the future of that industry, was given to-day. The award makes very little alteration in the existing conditions, and is regarded as a victory for the mine owners. The Court decided that surface laborers should work a full eight hours a day. Miners get shift pay for six-hour shifts in wet and gassy parts of mines. The wages are to be much the same as those at present existing on the Peninsula. Judge Cooper said the Court was not justified in so increasing wages as to cripple or destroy the men’s livelihood in the min-

ing industry, or in adding to the present expense necessary to develop the industry. The Court held that the conditions here were not aualagous to those at Reefton. To accede to the union wages demands would throw a large number of workers out of employment. The union demand for minimum wages on contracts was not granted, the weight of evidence being in favor of the present system of contracts. General wages for miners are to be 7s 6d per shift inside a radius of two miles from Thames and Coromandel, eight shillings per shift outside those limits ; overtime to be time and a quarter. Miners' Day holiday to be allowed. No youths under 16 to be employed underground, but the | Court objected to anything that would prevent youths getting work. The Court is of the opinion that the miners dismissed by the Waihi Company because they were officers of the union were deserving of special consideration at the hands of the company, although no technical breach of the Act had been committed. The award comes into force on October 19, and con-

tinues for two years. Judge Cooper said there was far too much work in some mines on Sundays. There had been a laxity in carrying out the provisions of the Act for the prevention of Sunday labor. No special rates for Sunday labor were fixed.