AUCKLAND TRAM MEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1650, 17 January 1913, Page 5

AUCKLAND TRAM MEN.

THE SPARE LIST.

SUNDAY WORK AND OTHER QUESTIONS, (By Telegraph.HSpocM Oonrapondent.) Auckland, January 10, The negotiations between the Auckland Electric Tramways Company and its employees roachod another stage on Wednesday, whon the draft of the- new agreement as proposed by the company was received by tho officials of the Auckland Tramways Union. It was learned that there are no material inci'onses in tho rates of pay'offered by tho company, and 60mo of tho most important points in the last agreement liavo been allowed to remain the 6ame in tho company's proposals, in spite of tho fact that the union sought to hnvo considerable alterations. Iho principal point, it is said, is tho yen' vexed sparo list question. In the tast. agreement, tho''union obtained from tho company a guarantee of eight hours' work in H hours per day for each man on' the spare list. In the union's demands this time it was sought to reduce from eight in U to eight in 12. This, however, tho company in its new proposals declines to do. Anolhor most important point that the union desired to obtain was' tho deletion ?f broken shift work on Sunday after 12 o clock, it being asked that no man should sign off till his day's work was completed. At present, it seems that Sunday work depends a good deal upon the weather conditions prevailing. Motornien and conductors are liable to bo signed on to take- a car out, and when they prosent themselves to do tho work they find tho car cancelled owing to inclement weather, or other' causes. There are other occasions on Sunday when motornion and conductors take their cars out, and after doing one or two trips in the busy traffic time, are sent into the dbpotß ana signed off for two or three hours, having to come back again somewhere about 0 p.m. to do another trip or two. They then tako their cars 'back lo the depots, and are'signed off during, tho church hour, having to return, for another two or threb trips after church at 8.20 p.m. : A 1 further: concession asked for in the union s demands was an annual holiday of 12 consecutive days on full pay for all , men who had been over 12 months in the service. The company, in its draft agreement, declines to accede, to. th© union's requests in this matter. It appears that the holiday leave granted in ,tho last agreement.was. eight cohsecutivo days on full pay. It is understood that in the holiday leave question tho company, has only ; partially met the union's request by granting two extra days on full pay. to a man. five years in the service,; and-four extra dayß-on full pay to men in the service for over eight yoara. ■ This would bring tho total' holidays to a man of five years' service to ten days annually, andto a man of eight, years' service, to 12 days.. .' : ■ .••'■■ ■..i-.' V '•;.• .■•..:(,• :.■■.■■■ !There. were also a ; number of minorrequests in. the union's' new' demands' which are entirely deleted, it is said, from the company's new.. proposals. Amongst ;these was tho double time for lato special cars after midnight, and also the question of the a.m.shift men,'being called upon to do late special duty. ' ..'.;', '• The'oompauy'n proposals havo aroused a great: deal of interest amongst tho tramway' men, '■■■■ •,,-.■' ■ .;; ,; .; ' '■':•■ ■/''