Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the reasons for the recent strikes at the Roan Antelope and Mufulira Copper Mines in Northern Rhodesia: and what decisions have now been reached on the causes of these disputes.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd,pursuant to Mr. Profumo's reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 2nd July, 1957; Vol. 572, c. 90], supplied the following further information:
The former strike was called without notice by the branch officials of the African Mineworkers Trade Union because they objected to the presence of a certain official (a member of the Mines Study Department)among the management's representatives at discussions with the union on 3rd June over "advancement" posts. The management refused to accept that the union had any right to object and the meeting was adjourned.
161WThe four day protest strike of European mineworkers at Mufulira from 7th to 10th June followed the breakdown of formal conciliation proceedings in a dispute concerning a claim made by the European Mineworkers Union that the management had acted contrary to its agreement with the Union by instructing that certain work should be done by mine officials which the union claimed had previously been done by Union members. When conciliation proceedings failed the Union suggested that the dispute should be referred to arbitration but the management refused on the grounds that this would involve handing over to an outside authority a matter concerning the technical operation of the plant.