NOTICE TO STRIKE
THREATENED TROUBLE WITH THE DRIVER AN ULTIMATUM FROM AUCKLAND MEETING IN WELLINGTON By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, November 19. At a mass meeting of the Drivers' Union, held to-day, it was resolved that the following notice be sent to the Minister for Labour: — "It is with deepest-regret-, that wo have now to advise you that seven days from this date the drivers of this district will declare a strike. The time for such 'act will operate from the expiration of the old award. We fully realise the seriousness of taking this action, but we have aduty to perform, not only to ourselves, but to our wives and children, whom we consider are entitled to better maintenance and bettor home life than we are now able to give them owing to the very low rate of wage we receive. Further, we consider that we would be lacking in at least part of our manhood if we submitted to the terms and conditions laid down in the award which places the standard of drivers forty per cent, lower' than any other trade or calling." Hi© union delegates are to proceed to Wellington to-morrow, and' other centres are being invited to take similar action. MEETING IN WELLINGTON A STRIKE BALLOT. A meeting of the Drivers' Union was held m the Trades Hall yesterday, and was largely attended. The secretary (Mr. Parlane) read a letter from the emplovers, in which' the latter refused to meet in conference with the divers' representatives in connection with tho recent award. Much dissatisfaction was expressed by members at the action of the employers, _ and the following resolution was carried unanimously by tho meeting:— "That this meeting of the Wellington Drivers' Union views with much dissatisfaction the refusal of the local employers to meet us in ; conference, to consider and discuss necessary improvements in working conditions and wages of the award of the Arbitration Court, and con- ' siders it entirely unsatisfactory to members of the union and quite unjust, in_ view of the high cost of living; it further instructs officers of the union to proceed! with the taking of a ballot to obtain an expression of the opinion of'its members on the question of ceasing work as a protest." Speaking to a Dominion reporter in connection with tho matter last evening, Mr. Parlane, secretary of the Drivers' Union, stated that'right from the inception of the dispute, twelve months ago, tho employers had acted in a most high-handed manner, and refused to discuss the matter in a conciliatory manner with the men. When the dispute was before the Conciliation Council, Mr. Craig, one of the leading carriers of Auckland, acted as an assessor for the employers, practically dominated the position, and absolutely refused to discuss matters in a conciliatory spirit. 'When the award was given a few weeks back "it was recognised! by everybody as one of the most unjust decisions .that had ever been given by the Arbitration Court can be heard in coloquial intercourse fa this- country. • The wages prescribed in the award were quite inadequate at this time to provide even bar© necessities of life for even a small family, and the union, in order to come Jo some amicable working arrangements with the employers, asked for a conference. Tho union was assured by most of the leading employers s that they recognised the wages prescribed in the award were quite insufficient, and led the union to believe that there would be no trouble in coming to a settlement of the difficulty. However, it seemed that the Zealand Employers' Federation'had instructed them not to confer with the union. The union had always been desirous of settling in . a friendly and amicable manner, but the employers had absolutely refused to meet them in the same spirit. Mr. Parian© added that if any trouble arose the employers would be responsible for it. The Dnnedin and Suburban Drivers' Union, at a meeting, passed the following motion—"That this union express their dissatisfaction at the unfair award meted out by tho Arbitration Court, _ and would point out the gross injustice as compared with awards granted to other unions. We deem the award as outrageous in the extreme, and calling for most drastic j action." | A LINKING-UP MOVE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Chrlstch'jrch, November 19. The Canterbury Drivers' Union iinani- | mously resolved to endorse the protests of the Drivers' Unions in other I centres and make common cause with them in a united effort to obtain redress. It has been decided to join the newly-formed Transport Workers' Federation, ' and inform the secretary of the Drivers' Federation in Wellington that the Canterbury Drivers' Union is in favoMr of the Drivers' Federation immediately linking up.with all other transport workers' organisations. EMPLOYER'S CONFERENCE TO-MORROW Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, states that the employers practically received an intimation' from the drivers at tho beginning of last week of their 'threatened intention to cense work on November 2(i, the day he'fore the new Dominion award came into operation. _ That award, which has been given in tho form of interim awards in the various_ centres from about August last, provided for ft <ls. per week increase; that is, £2 12s. instead of £2 Bs. for the driver of a one-horse vehicle, and £2 10s. instead of £2 12s. for the driver of a two-horse vehicle. The stable attendance was cut down from eight to four hours, and working hours (48 hours per week) was restricted to nine hours per day, whereas, under the old award they could be asked to work, say, twelve hours ono day and six another, as long as the week's time was made ■upThe representatives of the drivers' employers of New Zealand are to meet in conference in Wellington to-morrow at the rooms of the N.Z. Employers' Federation. HISTORY OF THE. TROUBLE The Drivers' Union filed a dispute with the Arbitration Court at the end of last year, but the award was not given 'until last month. The Court then awarded the drivers £2 12s. per week, as against the old award rate of £2 Bs. The workers complain that this is not a living wage, and the Auckland Union demanded that the Govornment should set up a board of inquiry to
consider the terms of tho award, upon tho following grounds:— "(1) The dispute was filed 12 mouths ago, and there was unnecessary and apparently wilful delayby the Court in delivering its judgmen. (2) The attitude adopted by tho employers at each sitting of tile Conciliation Council clearly demonstrated they were readily prepared to leave tho matter in tho hands of Judge Stringer and Mr. Scott, tho employers' representative, the employers refusing to consider any of the points at issue. (;)) The rates and conditions laid down by the Court in the new award are considerably less than awarded to any other trade or calling, in spite of th* fact that Judge Stringer remarked, when the dispute was being heard, that the drivers' rate of pay was a starvation wage. (4) Under the new award the wages rate from IUJd. per hour to Is. per hour, tho hours range from 52 to fiO per week, the rates of pay cannot by any stretch of imagination bo considered other than a starvation rate." The drivers state that in seventeen years the Arbitration. Court has advanced their wages by no more than 6s. a week, while in the same time other bodies of workers have secured increases to the extent of from 12s. to 15s. (id. per week. "How can anybody tell us that £2 12s. per week is a living wage?" said a Wellington driver recently. ' "Most of us are married men with families, and we are lucky if we pay less~than "15s. per week as rent. It is a starvation wage, and wo are entitled to make a protest." The workers point out that drivers coining under the general award receive less pay than drivers who aro covered by trade awards. Thus drivers under the grocers' award were this year granted £2 17s. 6d. per week. ACTING-MINISTER OF LABOUR OUT OF 1 ' TOIYN The Hon. AV. H.. Hemes, who is Acting-Minister of Labour, is at present in the south, and according to the present arrangement ho was not to return to Wellington until the end of the present week. It is not improbable, however, that he will return to Wellington to meet the drfvers' representatives.
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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2933, 20 November 1916, Page 6
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1,407NOTICE TO STRIKE Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2933, 20 November 1916, Page 6
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