DRIVERS' UNION AWARD

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21414, 5 March 1935, Page 9

DRIVERS' UNION AWARD

I FINAL AGREEMENT REACHED AIEETIMJ OF CONCILIATION COUNCIL Final agreement on the terms of an award for the Canterbury Drivers' Union was reached at a meeting of the Conciliation Council yesterday morning. The meeting was the fourth held in the period of thirty days allowed for deliberation, the discussion having been adjourned from the last meeting for consideration by the union of a scale of wages offered by the employers. There has been no award for two years. The employers were represented by Messrs 11. J. Otlcy, C. E. Otlcy, and D. I. Macdonald (secretary of the Canterbury Employers' Association); and the union by Messrs H. McCaw, W. Curtis and J. Nuttall. Mr S. Ritchie, Conciliation Commissioner, was in the chair. New Wage Kates Under the new award the wages will be approximately 5 per cent, less than those paid when the old award was in force; but Ihc new rates are approximately 5 per cent, higher than those which have been paid since under a private agreement among the employers. The wages agreed on are lower than those paid under the Wellington award, on which the union based its claims, but the overtime rates will be slightly higher. The union has agreed to an extension of the daily hours from nine to 10 for certain branches of the industry. Scale of Wages The new scale of wages is as follows:—One horse drivers £3 15s, two or more horses £3 17s 9d, drivers of motors under two tons capacity £3 17s 6d, two to four tons £4, four to five and a half tons £4 2s, five and a half to 10 tons £4 5s 6d, over 10 tons £4 Bs, tractors £4 Is 3d, tractors used for road-making Is 9d an hour. Overtime will be paid at the rate of time and a quarter for the first three hours and time and a half thereafter, compared with time and a quarter for the first four hours and time and a half thereafter, the latter being the rate in Wellington. Clause Providing Exemption Mr Macdonald read a request from an inter-urban transport firm operating in South and Mid-Canterbury that the award should be modified to protect the larger firms against competition by owner-drivers and family businesses in the country districts. It was complained that the smaller truck-owners were able to work longer hours at seasons when there was most business offering in the country, and that this embarrassed considerably

the intcr-urban firms, which were restricted. Mr 11. J. Otlcy said that this suggestion was for the benefit of the employees, as if the men were not allowed to work long hours in the busy season the farmers would provide their own transport. The following clause, providing a measure of exemption for employers engaged in seasonal transport, was suggested by Mr Macdonald and included in the award: -Employers of drivers of vehicles used exclusively for inter-urban transport business shall pay such drivers the ordinary rates of wages prescribed herein, but shall not be covered by the general provisions of the award, provided tliat in the event of any alleged abuse of this exemption the matter shall be referred to the disputes committee." General agreement was reached, aftr>r vcVv brief discussion, on the details of the award. The award will come before the Arbitration Court for ratification.