Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

6 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

--Claim and Counter Claim.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

Claim and Counter Claim. Gilfach Miners in Court. Mabon's Applauded Entrance. Headed by a brass band, a large con- tingent of Gilfach Goch miners attended the Police Court proceedings at Ton- Pentre on Monday, when the Stipendiary (Mr. D. Lleufer Thomas) and a Bench oi magistrates heard a lengthy case in which Thomas Cox, collier employed at the Britannic Merthyr Colliery, sued his em- ployers for £1 15s., being balance of 'Wage stated to be due to him in respect of five days' labour between August 30th and September 4th last. The Britannic Merthyr Company also instituted a counterclaim for L5 as damages for breach of cQ.tttn&ct; Cos. having left the Com- pany's service without giving the cus- tomary one month's notice to terminate his employment. Mr. W. P. Nicholas (Messrs. Morgan, Bruce, Nicholas, and James) appeared for Cos, and Mr. C. W. Kenshole, Aberdare, represented the Com- pany. The Court was crowded, among those at the solicitors' table being Mr. Wm. Abraham (Mabon), M.P., and Mr. Tom Lucas, miners' agent for the Ogmore and Gilfach district. Mr, Nicholas, in opening the case for CÔ" said tnai tne company pracxicanj admitted they owed him a certain sum of money. They admitted Pl 5s. Id. Plain- tiff worked in a seam known as the "Upper Yard Seam," which was in the process of being opened out, and the management had sought to introduce a price list which was applicable to the 6ft. seam, and which the workmen considered inapplicable to the seam in question. The management made up the wages of the workmen to about 4s. 9d. per day plus the usual per- centage, which the men declared was not up to what they would earn under normal I conditions. Plaintiff gave evidence, and said that according to the price list in vogue in the seam in question he was paid Is. 4d. per ton for coal worked, but received in addition artificial items to make up a reasonable rate of wages. The Stipendiary: Presents. Mr. Nicholas: A learned colleague of yours described these allowances as gratuities." Witness, proceeding, said this brought his wages up to 6s. lO^d, per day, which he was not satisfied with. He complained to the management and left their employ- ment on September 4th. The week in hand—August 30th to September 4th-had been retained by the Company, a sum which he placed at Cl 15s. While Mr. Kenshole was cross-examining witness, Mabon entered the Court, and instantly there was a rousing cheer for the "old warrior." After silence had been restored, his Worship said that the Court was not a place for applause, and he could not allow it in future. After the case had proceeded for some time, his Worship asked whether this was not a case where a price list could be properly settled. Mr. Kenshole said that the question of price lists was a most important one, and cases had been known where negotiations had been going on for months and had failed in the end. The Stipendiary: If the Conciliation Board fails, why not call in the Board of I Trade? I have had the pleasure of settling price lists. Mr. Kenshole said that the time worked oy piamxirt was tour ctays. ti-e claimed 7s. per day, and as a matter of fact the Company had paid him 6s. lid. The Stipendiary: Then all I have to decide is as to whether, on a question of principle, he should be given the other penny (laughter). Mr. Kenshole, addressing the Bench on the counterclaim, said that the contract here was the usual Conciliation Board agreement, which provided that a month's notice to terminate contracts should be given by either side. This particular seam had been opened for about six years, and the prices paid to the workmen during that period had been the prices which had prevailed in the six-feet seam since the Conciliation Board agreement was entered into. There was no contract to pay these men 7s. per turn. No colliery owner would agree to pay 7s. per day to any workman regardless of the amount and the nature of the work he did. If that were done, it would be ruinous, and there had been no evidence to show that there had been a contract to pay these men 7s. a day in this case. If the men were not prepared to work in this seam on the conditions laid down, they could give a month's notice to terminate con- tracts. David Bowen Jones, colliery manager, said the colliers in the Upper Yard Seam were paid on the 6ft. seam price list. There was a stone running through the bottom coal, and allowances were made according to the varying conditions of hewing. The men restricted the output of this particular seam, and he had reason to believe Cox was no different to the others. A number of men, having received their pay tickets on September 3rd, came to him and asked him to make up their wages to 4s. 9d. plus percentages. Wit- ness declined to do so, as it had never been the custom at the colliery to make up wages in this fashion. The men de- clared they would work no more unless their wishes were acceded to, and that they would see that no one else did it. They had not worked since. This meant a great loss in output. Mr. Nicholas You say there is restric- tion of output in this seam. Is it the custom to restrict the output where a price list is in existence? That is the case liere. Questioned with regard to allowances, witness said that he had never taken off wl u allowances which his under-manager had made because they were excessive and above the imaginary standard set by the Company. Mr. Nicholas: Supposing a man to be dissatisfied with the amount of allowance granted him, what remedy has he?—If we can't agree, he can come before his Worship. Do you admit there are circumstances under which a man can leave without giving notice if he is not satisfied with the amount of the allowance ?—Not unless he and the officials agree. After a long cross-examination, his Worship thought it was very unsatis- factory that a seam like this should have been worked for six years without a price list having been drawn up by somebody or other. David Rowlands, cashier at the colliery, gave evidence as to damages. Fredk. Stevens, under-manager at the colliery, said that working places of the ten men who had left on 4th September had not been worked in during the whole of the month. The Stipendiary found for JE1 5s. lOd. on Cox's claim, and for the plaintiff com- pany on the counterclaim, the amount of the claim to be set off against the L5 damages. Nine more cases of a similar character down for hearing were adjourned for a fortnight.

"Creation" at Mardy.

Clydach Vale Hauliers,

Welsh Topics. -

Blind with Eczema. (

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