STILL ON STRIKE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1940, Page 7

STILL ON STRIKE

WEST COAST MINERS. UNION AWAITING ACTION BY DEPARTMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH. July 5. “The union is still 100 per cent solid and, so far as I can see, there is no chance of work on Monday unless negotiations are opened by the department to make the way open for us to resume,” said Mr G. E. English, president of the State Miners’ Union, in a statement concerning the strike at the three State mines, which was brought about by the dismissal of a trucker. He added that the union was not being stubborn, but was satisfied, after consideration of all the circumstances, that its stand was justified. “The union is standing by Mr O'Brien’s recommendation that the trucker concerned be reinstated, and the management has rejected that recommendation. That is the position and it is for the heads to come to reason,” he added. Referring to past dismissals, Mr English said that in five or six weeks half a dozen men had been sacked from the mines, but considering there were reasonable grounds for the dismissals the union took no action. Some years ago the union dismissed a man who was working at the State mines on a suggestion of sabotage. They told that man there was no more work at the State mines for him. It. is understood that Mr A. McLagan, secretary of the United Mine Workers of New Zealand, is coming tc the West Coast tomorrow with a view to discussing the situation with the State Miners’ Union executive tomorrow evening. Commenting on this, Mi English said: “If he has anything ol a concrete nature to put forward there might be some finality achieved, bu' otherwise the situation remains unchanged.”