"A FOOLISH STRIKE."

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1920, Page 5

"A FOOLISH STRIKE."

DISMISSAL OF A MINER. , HIS MATES CEASE WORK. ... By Telegraph.—Pres? Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Before Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., at ICaitangata, to-day, 56 miners from the Tarata mine were charged witfh a breach of the Tarata coalminers' awprd by creating a strike through absenting themselves from work. The charges were laid by the Inspector of Awards, who claimed a penalty of £5 from each defendant. The facts were that a dispute arose between the company and a miner named Robertson. Robertson left the mine, and the men resented this, and a deputation waited on the manager and told him plainly that unlesg Robertson was re-instated they would not go back to work. The manager said he would not take back the man. The men held a stopwork meeting, and by a majority of thirty-seven to six, passed a resolution that they would not resume work until Robertson was re-instated. After the negotiations the manager said: "Is this a strike!" The President said: "Yes." The men stayed away from work on Monday (Labor Day), and held a meeting on Tuesday and told the manager they would return to work th 6 following day, which they did. In giving his decision, the Magistrate said the strike had been a foolish act. The Court must hold the officers of the Union primarily responsible, and differentiation would be made between their penalties and those of other miners. A fine of £3 and costs 12s Cd was imposed on Ralph Harrison (the President of the Union) and James Thompson (the secretary). Fifty others were fined £2 with seven shillings costs, and the case against two others was dismussed.