MINER’S STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1930, Page 3

MINER’S STRIKE

IN SOUTHLAND

I3y Telegraph, Per Press Association

IN A’ERiOARGILL, Aug. 4

As a result of the dismissal of seventeen men at the Wairakei Coal Company A mine, tlie remaining twenty, it i« stated, decided to down loois Hi a sympathy strike. According to a statement issued by the manager, Mr J. T. Mosiey, the men held a stop work meeting on Ju-'y M, and the management had good reason to believe that they passed a resolution limiting their output to eight .boxes per mail per day in solid work, and ten boxes in pillars and tops. '

Air Alosley proceeds: On Friday fuly 25, a notice was posted dispensing with the services of al! of the men engaged on, or subsequently to, Alay i.j, jh2), as from Augrst 2, 1030, 'anti •-’ncelling all prospecting work. On Alomlav, -July 28, another .stop work ; fneetiiig was held, aiid I aocompamed die Alanagi ng Director, who addrcssei 1 the meeting, explaining the financial oo'it-i'Mi of the ( omnany, and. he referred., jto the impossibility of carryin ffn with, rapidly rlsjng,costs. ,apd qidq-c-reaising; bUtpJlt. HfSft fetirpd a iff! left tint mepito fednie Mb I later, the Union Secretary, accompanied by two workmen’s delegates, me, 1 , the Alanaging Director and myself on the question of restoring the h«|ljt and .prospecting woik ; ancl sharing the w’cirki witli iilie Hempo?‘a.rjg men. We refused fbe first two conditions. On the third question, we gave them to understand that, providing they resumed the normal output, we were willing to either allow the temporary men to <4v>,re the work, or to dispense with them as regular hands. After lunch, the same dele•zation met me in tho office, and informed me that they had decided to share the work with the temporary hands. On my stressing the point of the,, resumption of norma] output, they 1 merely! aiboitt j sh^J’ipgHthe|. : : work, j ahd« jdefflin^ 1»d lio indmit (tliliti there’ vftis ‘ tirrestoid-j tion of the output'- in operation. On’ acquainting the Alanaging Director of the men’s decision, he instructed me to close down the n'ant. At a subsequent meeting of the Directors, it was decided to open the mine for work under normal conditions this morning. AVord was received from Qihai tips af.ternppn that the men had presented terriiS to the management this morning( and that their request regarding: tlie sharing of the wdfk at the /Wairakei Aline had been ‘deplincdrr ; .'t'rM'i ""At a special general meeting of Nightoans District. Mineils’ Union yesterday, the following resolution wav carried unanimously:—“That, in the event of the AVairakei men reject, ing the owners’ terms would receive both the financial and moral support of the whole district.”