COAL DISPUTE VIRTUALLY OVER

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1926, Page 9

COAL DISPUTE VIRTUALLY OVER

FIFTY THOUSAND MORE MINERS RETURN TO WORK CLAIM FOR NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS ABANDONED • DISTRICTS TO NEGOTIATE WITH RESPECTIVE OWNERS > Although the terms suggested hy the Government as a settlement of the British coal strike have been rejected by the men, the miners’ executive has instructed the District Associations to negotiate with the owners in the respective districts, which is the condition which the mineowners have all along insisted was a vital one. In view of this decision to approach the owners, and the fact that miners are returning to work in thousands daily, it is considered that the tragic struggle is practically over.

Received Nov. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 20. The miners’ conference passed a resolution recommending all the district associations to immediately open negotiations with the owners in their respective districts, but not to make a final settlement until a national conference has received reports of all the negotiations. It is significant that 10,000 additional men resumed work to-day, making a total of 50,000 for the week. The tragic coal dispute virtually ends with the delegates’ decision to authorise the men to negotiate for district settlements. The decision was only reached after an acrimonious debate. Lancashire urged the acceptance of the district vote to fight on. The executive, however, expressed anxiety that some attempt should be made to settle and after this the decision to open district negotiations was carried by an overwhelming majority. It really means that national negotiations have been abandoned as well as the Government’s terms, though the districts are urged to endeavour to incorporate certain national principles which will be decided upon by the executive and con-

sidered by to-day’s delegate conference. ' It will be at least a week before the negotiations are completed in the various districts, after which a national conference will be necessary. A later message states that the de’l gate ■ conference has arranged for tl r districts to immediately enter upon ne» gotiations with the owners and to report to the delegate conference on November 26. The Conference drew up six principles which should be adopted in the negotiations, agreeing to the Government’s terms regarding the minimum and subsistence wages, but including a new principle that the agreements may be terminable by three months’ notice on either side. This is interpreted as a desire to ensure the federation’s control of the districts, and enabling the calling of a simultaneous general stoppage. The secretary of the Miners’ Federation, Mr. A. J. Cook, declares that the delegates’ decision is not a surrender to the owners, who must not seek to impose impossible and unfair conditions. . London, Nov. 19.

The final return of the miners’ voting on the Government terms was 313,200 votes *for and 460,806 against.