COAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1920, Page 5

COAL.

; „ PUKEMIRO SETTLED. 3KSSK RESUMES ON MONDAY, I'tlejraph.—Press Association Wellington, Last Night. • In the House of Representatives this evening, the Premier asnounced that a settlement of the Pukemiro mine dispute had been reached on a basis that work would he resumed on Monday. The engine-drivers are to remain members of the Miners' Union, but are not to cease work in the event of the stopping of operations at the mine for any reason. There had been a dispute at the Kf*epaka mine also, but this had been settled, and he believed there '.ere now good prospects of satisfactory supplies being available for all purposes from the local mines, with the addition of a certain quantity of Newcastle eaal for gas making.

TERMS OF AGREEMENT. POSITION OP ENGINE-DRIVERS. Wellington, Last Night. A settlement has finally been arrived at in connection with the protracted Pukemiro coal mine dispute. The negotiations attained fruition to-day as a result of a conference held between Mr. Hally (as special representative of the Pukemiro Union) and Mr. W. Pryor (representing the Pukemiro Collieries. Ltd.).. On Wednesday a resolution was adopted by the Pukemiro Miners' Union which, subject to ratification by the secretary of the Miners' Federation (Mr. IJ. Arbuckle), gave Mr. Hally full permission to arrive at a settlement with the Coal-mine Owners' Association. The action of the union was endorsed by Mr. Arbuckle, and it is now officially announced that the miners will resume operations. The memorandum of agreement arrived at runs as follows: "(1) That all mine workers at the Pukemiro mine shall immediately return to work; (2) that the engine-drivers sha/11 remain members of the Miners' Union during the currency of the present agreement; (3) that the engine-drivers shall remain on shift as may be required by the employers during any stoppage of work caused by strikes, stop-work meetings or any other cause of a similar nature; (4) that, work should be resumed as usual on Monday, October 18; (5) this agreement is signed in accordance witli a resolution passed at a general meeting of the Pukemiro Miners' Union held at Pukemiro on October 13, 1920, to the following effect: That the Pukemiro Miners' Union shall unreservedly place the matter of the dispute in the hands of Mr P. Hally, with full power "to act on their behalf with the management of the company, and that the members of the union shall abide by whatever decision may be arrived at. This resolution is subject to. the following conditions: (1) That it is to - operate only in the event of the proposal made on October 12 regarding reference to the National Disputes Committee and now under consideration by the employers, being rejected by them; (2) that the resolution of the union shall be endorsed by the secretary of the New Zealand Miners' Federation. Signed by Mr. J. Arbuckle, Mr. P. Hally, and Mr. William Pryor.