Lowest Scale in Dominion for Hewing Rates

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 59, 13 March 1944, Page 4

Lowest Scale in Dominion for Hewing Rates

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 12. “As the Runanga State Miners’ Union for some time has been the butt of vilification and misrepresentation, we think it high time we put our case before the public of New Zealand,” ! says a statement issued by the president of the union (Mr. G. E. English) and the secretary (Mr. James Reid). It is at the Strongman and Liverpool State mines that production has fallen ’ recently, giving rise to the accusation ; of a go-slow policy. “The disparity in the hewing rates 1 in the different coalfields of New Zea- ' land to the disadvantage of the State mines, which are on the lowest scale, 1 has for a long time caused dissatisfac- i tion among our members,” says the ' statement. “Our prices ranging from 1 2s 9-Jd to 3s 6d a ton, standard rate at Liverpool, and 3s 2d to 4s a ton at the Strongman mine, compare very unfavourably with the rate prevailing in < other parts of New Zealand. The dis- : tance of the mines from the workers’ homes makes the day away from home 10 hours at least to 115 hours for those living at Greymouth. On the score of the long day wc consider the request for a seven-hour working day justified and contend that contract workers at ; the end of a long day are so fatigued that production in the last hour is negligible. For that reason a shorter day would not materially affect pro duction. “We hear a lot about £2 and more that the average miner earns. The miner on the lowest rate of 2s 9]d has to fill an enormous amount of coal to take that amount, and he also has to buy explosives and detonators as well as buy and maintain a costly set of tools. Compare that with what the consumers pay—about £5 a ton, and in one town we understand it to be as high as £ll a ton—and it will be realised that in return for the labour, the unpleasant conditions and the continual risk the miner is the worst paid of any unit in the coal business. ‘ 4 The increase which wo arc asking would still leave us far from the top tonnage rates in other fields and leave us even further from a fair share in the profits when the difference between the production point and purchaser’s price is considered. If the miner gave his labour free of cost to the public the price per cwt. bag would be reduced by 4d or less. The public ought to hold an inquiry into the high cost of coal and not allow themselves to be misled into believing that the miner gets any more than the pittance already quoted. “To-day the methods of winning coal are exactly as they were 30 years ago. Mechanisation has not been adopted nor has there been any serious attempt to make the work of the miner less laborious. Little alteration has been made in the tonnage rates under the present contract system and such meagre increases as have been given have been immediately wiped out by increased taxation and the rapidly rising costs of living. “The State miners aim to cut down loss of life and lower the number of serious accidents, and a fair-minded public will support the much maligned miner in his endeavour to get a decent wage for this mine slavery. We realise that whatever improved conditions we might obtain will be also to the benefit of the servicemen when they return to civilian employment and will be of more substance than promises. W r e | have invited Hon. P. (£ Webb to come and discuss our problems with us and i we feel sure that if he wall do so a 1 1 satisfactory solution can be achieved, ’ ’ I the statement concludes, i