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ÉE MINES AGREEMENTS-!
' . ¡rn I
. Trp CONFERENCE-AND AFTER.
- ifalAT IS BEING ASKED FOR.
The compulsory conference summoned
by. the President 0f the Federal Arbi-
tration Court to deal with the labor
.dispute at__Broken Hill, Port Pirie,
and other mining centres was brought
.to, a close yesterday (savs the Mel-
bourne "Age" of Friday). The con-
ference failed to conclude an agree-
ment between the parties, and the
'whole case was referred to the court
for hearing as soon as possible. Mean-
while every employee affected by the
dis;pute will receive an increase of 1/
per day in his wages.
The official report of the conference,
as^ furnished by tho Registrar (Mr. H.
Stewart), contained the following para-
graph :
"The court's engagements arc too
numerous to permit of this arbitration
being taken forthwith, but until au
award is made or an agreement arrived
-at the representativog' of the companies
have undertaken that, as from mid
ntght ^^lSttmlay, September 12;' If
-extra per Ishift would be paid to all
employees concerned: . in/ the : dispute .
(boys pro' raia),'including-1- extra per
shift to men on contract, and to ?' pay
atK-the rate: of time and-a quarter for
overtime (week days, holidays, and .
Sundays) to all such employees , on
wages not now receiving as much as
time and a quarter-all those now re-
ceiving higher rate« for overtime to
still receive' those rates."
The compulsory , conference sat on
Monday, Wednesday, and , Thursday.
The proceedings on Thursday only occu-
pied about an hour. After some, dis-
cusión.^ and when it appeared that no
agreement could be arrived at, Mr. G *
-Weir, representing- the . whole pf the
mining companies, offered-r.the increase
o£;-l/ per'day» pending the decision of
'the court, without prejudice. The offer
'covers all the employees at Broken
Hill. Port Pirie, Hummocks Hill, Iron
Knob, and Point Turton. Owing to the
congested- state of the business before
the court no indication could be given
as,to when the case would come on for
hearing, but it.' is not likely to be
heard this year. His Honor said there
were several important matters to be .
dealt with by the court, and he did not
know how long they would take.
Most of the employees' representa-
tives left for Broken Hill by, the Ade-
laide- express in the afternoon. They
had t .apparently received tho decision
.with* mixed -feelings. The representa-
tives of the miners and the engineers
expressed, disappointment.
'-When asked tb make a statement.
Mr. W. D. Barnett, secretary of the
Amalgamated Miners' Association,
said:-"No; I can't say anything.
You will hear enough abyut the mat-
ters in.' dispute when the case comes on
, fop- hearing. AU 1 can say is that I
am disappointed at the result." -
'Mr. H.;A. Mitchell, general secretary
of the Federal Enginedrivers' and Fire-
men's Association, was more communi-
cative. "I contend," he said, "that it
has been made clear that the Federal
Arbitration Act is the means of pre-
venting . industrial strife owing to the
power his Hoiior has of compelling the
.piurties to .a disputo to appear before
bimi and , thrash" ont tho . malters in
which'they aTe-at variance. In this
case there is not the slightest doubt
that but for the .decision of his Honor
in calling a conference a strike would
have taken place, lt cannot be said
that the conference has failed, seeing
that the employees will all receive an
increase of 1/^ per "day until the case
is decided. Tho conference shows that
if, the court had thc power to deal with
disputes confined to one State, many
strikes that now take place would be
averted, as, for instance,4- the great
coal strike in -New SouthT.Wales in
1911." -. - .
"The Argus'' states:
"The demands' of the members of
the Amalgamated Miners' Association
were regarded as the chief bone of con-
tention. , For the miners it was asked
that the working ' hours should' be re-
duced to 44 per week, in shifts, as fol-
lows:-From Monday tn »Friday, 8
á.m. to 4 p.m. ; afternoon, 4 pim. to
midnight; Saturdays, morning from 8
a.m. till 12: noon'; afternoon, 12. noon
to 4 p.m. Six-hours'; shifts Were asked
for where the-.temperature, was .78 de-
gree» and over,, and ^fourrhourë' shifts
where the temperature exceeded 82
degrees. - The overtime rates-demanded
were-Sundays and recognised holidays,
double time; work beyond ordinary
.working hours, time and a half. Abso-
lute preference, to unionists, wag de-
manded. The holidays desired were
j'New Year's Day,; Good Friday, Easter
! Monday, Eight Hours' Day,". Christmas
. Day, Boxing Day,-and'all Federal and
I (Staje election days. Regarding wages,
the claims of the union set out that all
underground contractors should earn
not less than 16/ per shift, surface con-
tractors 14/ per shift, 12/ per shift for
all men. working shifts, with 11/6 per
shift as the minimum for «ill hands.
The present minimum wage for surface
hands is 9/6 per shift, but there is no
minimum . for contract work. under-
ground, which' the men complained
yielded as low as 5/ per shift. At Port
Pirie it was asked that' the minimum
wage fdr-work at the smelters should
bo fixed at 11/ per shift, up to 13/ per
shift for producer men. The minimum
wages at . present, paid, to engineers at
the Broken Hill - juines is112/t> . per
shift/* ?
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