TRAMWAYMEN WANT BETTER CONDITIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 March 1947, Page 6

TRAMWAYMEN WANT BETTER CONDITIONS

THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN TBn SERVICE AUCKLAND, Feb., 28-; . Exteiision of the exiating provisions of payment for shift work in sorne branches of the service to the tralfic and maintenance employees and an improvement of conditions so that skilied men wrould not leave to accept un skilied work in other industries at higlier rates of pay wero the salient features of the Aucldand Tramways Union's claims for a new award, 'ae cording to the sccretary (Mr. E. A. Whitlow) when diseussing the matter today. .While the union was willing to give credit to its women members for their excellent services through the war years and had been united on the issue of equal pay for equal work, Mr. Whitlow said that the natioual poliey was that because of its strenuous nature the operation of trams was a masculine occupution and the. malc was the breadwinuer. He felt tiiat the board should make the eondi'tious of work and wages a'ttractivc enough to cnsure that the expcrienced and skilied male workcr should remain in the board 's empioy and young men should be seeltiug employment with it. He lcnew of in: stauces wherc men with 15 years' experience as traliic opcrators or ou the maintenance crews had left to seek more lucrative employment as unskilled workers. Women, stated Mr. Whitlow, wero not eligible for appointment as motormen, and it was obvious that unless male conductors who had to do 12 months' service before they could become motormen wero obtained the timo would arrive when the board would be seriously short of motormen. There was no suggestion, he said, ol: women being puslied off the trams. Those wli > were now employed would be retaiued aud the uniou would con;tinue to look after 'their iuterests. Mr. Whitlow said he had noticod that in botli the liailway and l'ost and, Telegraph Departments men had replaced women who were takcn on during the emergency period for various posts in the Departments. Mr. Whitlow stated that tlio union did not want to give the Auckland public the iinprcssion that it was hulding it "up to ransom" but wanted some practical recognition of tlie long hours and strenuous work in which its members were ongaged.