AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 206, 20 May 1918, Page 4

AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

TERMS OP NEW AGREEMENT. ity TeleEravh—i ! fe.i! A.-siciation. Auckland, May 18. Tho agreoniont in tho Auckland tramways dispute was signed this morning as a result of the sittings of tho third committee lasting from Wednesday. There wore three representatives of each party, tho Hon. G. I'owlds being chairman with a casting voto. This morning Mx. Foivlds announced that after considerable discussion it was found that the parties wero unable to agreo regarding , rales of wages, and ha therefore intimated that he was prepared to support an increase of wages on tho following basis: Where wages are at present lesa (ban 13d. per hour, an incrcaso of ljd. per hour; whero wages are 13d. por hour, but less than 15d.. an increase- of Hd.; wiiero wages aro 15d. por hour and over, an increase of Id.; that the present bonus of 6s.' per week in addition to Iho scale of wages provided for bo continued during the curroncy of tho agreement about to be concluded. The Bcalo was adopted throughout, with n few minor modifications. After a discussion on conditions of work, the chairman intimated that he was not prepared to support material alterations, which would have tho effect of substantially increasing tho cost of operating tho tramways, beyond the increase in wages, or wouhl "necessitale a further call upon the man-power of tho city. With regard to tho claim that eight hours' work be provided for broken shifts within twelve hours, after which ovortimo should bo paid, it was agreed that in at least 50 por cent, of the broken shifts eight hours shall be. completed m twelve hours aud tho remaining 50 per cent, in thirteen hours, after which ordinary overtime should bo paid. It was also agreed that tho time in which employoes should bo continuously on duty without a break should bo reduced from ton to nine and a half hours. Iu tho caso of night-shift depot workers, it was agreed that eight hours por shift should include half an hour for meal time. It was decided to add a new clause providing that tho rank and promotion of all employees engaged since- the commencement of tho war will be liable to adjustment when men serving with tho Expeditionary Force return to resume work. A number of minor amendments and modifications were also ngreed to. Tho agreement is to bo jnado binding for two years.