MINERS’ DEMANDS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1921, Page 5

MINERS’ DEMANDS

NEW AGREEMENT SOUGHT. A THIRTY-HOUR WEEK. MINIMUM WAGE OF £6. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The current agreement between the Mine-Owners’ Association and the Miners’ Federation will expire on February 28, after being in operation for twelve months. In conjunction with the Australian Miners’ Federation (affiliated) new demands have been prepared. The chiefs features of the new proposals are demands for a six-hours day, a five-days week, a minimum weekly wage of £6. and a fortnight’s holiday on full pay at the end of each year. The demands have not yet been considered by the Mine-Owners’ Association. The full list of demands is:— Six-hour day (bank to bank). Five days per week. Abolition of the contract system. A fortnight’s holiday on full pay at the end of each year. A minimum weekly wage of £6. Full wages as compensation for lost time owing to occupational disease or accidents. Employers to provide tools, light, and explosives free. Instalment of modern safety appliances. Proper sanitary arrangements. Abolition of the afternoon shift. An effective voice in the executive control of the industry. Overtime. —Double rates to be paid for all week-day overtime; treble rates to be paid for all Sunday and holiday work.

The demands provide that the minimum wage for off-hand labor (18 years and over) shall be £1 per shift. For miners hewing coal on contract a minimum rate of £1 5s per shift is asked, and for miners working in stone the minimum requested is £1 7s 6d, per shift. Other provisions of the claims are as follow: Machine men (coal), £1 5s per shift. Wheelerg, £1 2s 6d per shift. Machine coal contract rates (shooter and filler), 33 1-3 per cent increase. Machine cutters, 25 per cent increase. Boys’ and youths’ day rates, 33 1-3 per cent increase. All other classes of labor, 27% per cent increase. * Where extra payment is now being made for special consideration, the margin now paid shall be maintained in a district. The Miners’ Federation asks that, so far as possible, any award or agreement based upon the foregoing claims shall be made retrospective, and operate as from February 28, 1021. The agreement under which the miners are at present working provides for \york under the contract system, witty a minimum wage of 19s 2d per shift of eight hours, bank to bank.