TRAMWAY TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 9 October 1918, Page 6

TRAMWAY TROUBLE

DIFFERENCE AS TO OVERTIME RATE. At the two shift meetings of the tramway employees held on Monday (an official report of which was not made available), it is understood that sharp differences of opinion were expressed with no little vigour upon the proposed terms of settlement, as provisionally agreed upon on Saturday night by the representatives (if the City Corporation and the employees' union.'-' . The a.m. shift agreed by a very large majority to accept the term of settlement. There was, however, a minority vote against accepting the proposed agreement on the ground that the overtime rate of pay should be based on the new rate of pay (time and a half on Is. 4d. per hour), instead of on the old rate, as previously agreed upon. The minority made its influence felt during the day, with the result that the p.m. shift, decided to accept the agreement on the rate of overtime being made out on tho riew Ecale of pay. As this was not what was agreed upon by the representatives of both parties, that agreement has not been ratified. It is the duty of the union's representatives to report to the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. W. Newton), but up till yesterday afternoon no official notification had been received from tho union by the Commissioner. Aβ the union did not agreo to tho terms of settlement, tho meeting of the City Council fixed- for noon yesterday was called off, as it was 'recognised that it would be useless to consider terms of settlement which the men had already refneed to accept in their entirety. As the conference was an informal one, "the procedure is not set or formal, but it is" assured that as soon as the union's objection to the adoption of the terms of settlement has heen recoived, the Commissioner will call the parties together again to see if anything can bo done that will bring about stable conditions in respect to our tramway service.