The Miners' Federation of Great Britain

Terms Submitted by The Owners in The Districts

Northumberland

Owners' Amended Proposals Submitted To Representatives Of Workmen On November 25th, 1926.

1. There shall be established a District Board of such number of members as may be determined by the Northumberland Coal Owners' Association and the representatives of the Northumberland colliery workers with an independent chairman. The voting at the meetings of the Board shall be by sides.

2. The wages shall be determined in relation to the ascertainment of proceeds of the industry.

3. The percentage addition to basis rates shall not be less than 80, subject to efficient recoupment of deficiencies.

4. There shall be a subsistence allowance to make up the wages of low paid adult day wage workers to 6s. 9½d. per shift.

5. The method of ascertainment, to be determined by the parties, but the value of the allowances in the shape of free houses or rent allowances and free coals shall be treated as wages paid and not as other costs.

The sums required to make up the subsistence allowance shall also be treated as wages paid.

6. The wages payable, from the resumption of work at the mines until the 28th February, 1927, shall be at the rate of 80 per cent, above basis rates. The wages payable in the month of March shall be determined by the ascertainment of proceeds for the months of January, 1927, for the month of April by the proceeds for the months of February, and so on.

The above arrangements are conditional upon the acceptance of the following terms :—

7. If all the other proposals of the owners, as now amended, are accepted, the owners will agree to a seven and a-half hours' shift, plus one winding time, for coal hewers, and an eight hours' shift, plus one winding time, for all other classes of underground workers, with unrestricted coal drawing hours. Bonus wages altered 5s. 2d. to 5s. 6d. Soft coal collieries in proportion. Fillers raised to 5s. 10d.

8. The hours of persons employed on the surface shall be 49 per week, exclusive of meal times.

9. The percentage additions to pieceworkers (whether merged in the prices or not) which were granted for the reduction of hours no longer to apply.

10. The ratios for the division of surplus proceeds to be 87 to wages and 13 to the owners.

11. Pits to be cavilled separately if desired by management.

12. Hewers, fillers, and conveyor men to be cavilled separately where desired by the management.

13. The full hours of the shift to be worked by the first shift on the last day of the quarter, and by both shifts on the first day of the quarter.

14. Arrangements to be made for working a single shift of normal length on both pay and baff Saturdays.

15. The management to have the power to arrange the different shifts to suit the circumstances at each individual colliery, but this clause not to apply to the establishment of a three-shift system.

16. The Sunday repairing shift to be on the Sunday night instead of Sunday morning. Six-hour shifts.

17. The agreement to continue for two years, subject to one month's notice by either party after the expiration of that period, provided that after the agreement has been in operation for one year the District Board shall have power on the application of either party to revise the minimum percentage addition to basis rates.

If we agree to recommend the terms herein, the owners will not give any preferential treatment to men signing on after to-day.