STATE MINE DISPUTE.

Grey River Argus, 22 February 1927, Page 5

STATE MINE DISPUTE.

SAFETY QUESTION. Pay Withheld. The State coal miners will all be idle to-day, as the Rewanui miners were yesterday, on account of the action of the management in withholding payment for an hour, when the men at the Middle Brake (the biggest section of the Rewanui mine) on Thursday, February 10, came out from the workings in the interests of their own safety after the fan stopped operating. There are 294 miners engaged in the Middle Brake section, and it rfe noted as being a very “gassy” section, being in this respect at least as bad as the Dobson mine. The miners naturally expected that their pay would not bo stopped on account of an accident for which they were nowise responsible, but they reckoned without the management, which evidently took the view that they would stick

to a previous precedent, when the men were “docked” five hours for the day on which a stoppage was obligatory at the I’ewanui mine some little time ago. The. men on that occasion had allowed the < locking to go unchallenged, so that 'they naturally felt they must take a. stand this time. On Friday last the Union briefly considered the nation of the management in disallow ing payment, and resolved to send a deputation to the management,- with the request for payment for the hour in question for all the men concerned. Yesterday morning a stop-work meet ing was held to learn the result of -th< deputation, when the delegation re ported that the Superintendent, Mr [ A. James, had adhered to the previous decision not to pay for the time the mon were out of the mine. It was thereupon . unanimosly decided not to rCsu-me work until such time as the management should reverse its decision. It was further resolved that the Union should demand that a permanent attendant be provided for the fan at the Middle Brake in view of the gas danger and the large number of lives nt stake. It was pointed out that it was very dangerous to be in this sec. tion even an hour after the fan stopped. The Unid*n held a mass meeting lanight at Runanga, when the decisions

at the morning meeting were re-affirm-ed. As'a result nearly 400 men wi' not be working to-day, including those at the James Mine, the Union being determined not to resume without re dress.