CONCILIATION BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 9

CONCILIATION BOARD.

DRIVERS" 1 UNION DISPUTE.' A meeting of the Conciliation Board was held vesterday to consider tlie claims: on employers made by the Wellington Drivers Industrial Union of Workers. The principal mattors in dispute were hours-awl wages, m regard to' which the Union claimed as fol°Ho'urs —Forty-seven hours, exclusive of the time required for tho necessary attendance to horses, shall constitute a week's work. The said time shall include the time properly occupied in going from and returning to. th 6 stables.' The working-hours shall be regulated by the employer according to tho requirements of his business, but provision shall-be made for work to cease at 12.15 p.m. on lone day in each week, and notice of such regulation shall bo fixed or posted in. some con~ spicuous place in the stable or yard by the employer." Seven days' notice of any alteration in'such regulation shall- be" given by the employer. A time-book shall be provided by tho /employer, in which each driver shall enter daily his time of starting and finishing work, also any time taken by him for meals. Wages.—The minimum weekly wage for competent drivers shall be: For driving and attending a single hdrse, .£2 10s.; for . driving and attending two horses, X 2 Ms.; for each additional horse, 4s. per week extra. No deduction shall be made from such weekly wages for bad weather or holidays, or for other cause than for time lost through the employees' default. . ; There wore present Messrs. P. J. "0/Began (Chairman), A. 11. Cooper and A. Collins, workers' representatives, and H. Innes and F. Bedford, employers' representatives. Mr. lunes, however, withdrew, as he was one of tho employers cited. Messrs. Munt, Cottrell and Co.,- Thompson Bros., and the U.S.S. Company were represented. Mr. Greiifell, secretary to tho. Employers Association, stated that he appeared on belialf of the majority of tlie employers cited. ■A conference had been held, he said, between representatives of the .Union and the Association, but, though the best feeling prevailed, an agreement could not be arrived at. The employers, therefore, desired to submit the matter to the Arbitration ' Court; Without any discourtesy to the Board they had .decided to withdraw from the present proceedings. . ■ ■ Mr. Blackie, secretary of the Drivers Union (who had with him Mr. Parlane), expressed regret that a conference could not be agreed upon. He thought they might be able to arrive at an agreement if they met again. Mr. Grenfcll said that, as the attitude of the Union had apparently changed, the employers were willing to arrange another conference. It must be private, however; they would not agree to any member of the Conciliation Board being present. ■ • • This caused another deadlock, Mr. Blackie holding out for a member of tho Board, to be presont. "We want'him to see fair play," he declared. "We won't agree to the chairman or any member of the Board being present,"' rbp'ied Mr. Grenfcll. An impromptu conference between (he Union's and employer's representatives took place, but nothing definite could be arrived at. Eventually, the chairman adjourned the meeting until Friday week, to give the parties an opportunity to arrive at a settlement. At the same time, the chairman pointed out, tho Board had power to compel employers or aieis to attend, by subpoena, if necessary;'it was not desired to do that, however, if it tor id be avoided. ' During the week Mr. Blackie asked pernio-, sion for tho. bakers ,to bo struck out, as ari agreement had been' arrived at between tlie employers and workers.. Mr. Yellow, on behalf of the master' hawfi,. confirmed this. It was considered that bakers' drivers should be distinct from other drivers. Tlie Board consented, and the bakers vire struck out. The Union S.S. Company was also exempted, the company, through Mr. Kennedy, agreeing to abide by the terms of the. award made. Employers cited in connection with the Wellington Drivers dispute are requested: to attend at Jamieson's buildings, Woodward Street, at. 8 o'clock on Thursday evening to appoint representatives for a further conference.