COUNCIL EMPLOYEES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 36, 11 August 1936, Page 10

COUNCIL EMPLOYEES

AGREEMENTS RATIFIED

TRAMWAY POSITION

Representatives of the Wellington City Council and of the employees of the council met in the Arbitration Court today to secure orders to provide for a 40-hour week on the basis of agreements reached between the parties, and to settle some minor points where agreement had not been reached. The workers applied for amendments of'the awards governing engine-drivers, dairy employees, municipal labourers, and tramways, powerhouse, and omnibus employees.

The City Council was represented by the City Solicitor, Mr. J. O'Shea. The workers were represented by Mr. J. Read (engine-drivers), Mr. P. Butler (labourers), Mr. J. Robertson (milk department employees), and Messrs. W. N. Broadley and C. S. Morton (tramway employees).

Mr. O'Shea said agreements had been reached regarding engine-drivers, dairy employees, and labourers, and there were only some points in dispute regarding the tramways.

Mr. Broadley submitted that the 40----hour week could be applied to the tramways on September 1, and he opposed any delay.

Mr. O'Shea said the first point in difference was the adjustment of wages. The union had submitted a scale of wages to adjust the weekly earnings, but the computations, although they only provided for increases amounting to a fraction of a penny, would cost ab,out £900 a year when spread over the service. He submitted that the Court could not increase the weekly earnings and put in a schedule that provided for at least the.same weekly wages as at present. '

Mr. Morton said the schedule prepared by Mr. O'Shea was acceptable., but asked that dirt pay for. pit workers should be increased because it had always been regarded as part of thenweekly earnings. If the ljd paid was increased to • ljd it would bring the pay to within 2d of the present rate. Mr. O'Shea said the management would agree to. that increase. The other point in dispute, said Mr. O'Shea, was the application of the 40----hour week on the tramways. The management was prepared to work the 40-hour week from September 1, but wanted the right to work some of the men on six days every alternate week until November 1. The men would be paid at overtime rates for the extra day. A number of new :?en had to be trained, .and the management felt that it would be in the interest of public safety to have the services of the trained men on the extra day.

Mr. Morton said the legislation was framed to give employment to more workers, and the union did not want that objective defeated by overtime.

The question of power-house employees working an 80-hour fortnight was also raised, a ruling being asked for. . The^Qourt held that the request for the right to work some men for six days a week until November 1 was a reasonable one, and that the 80-hour fortnight agreed upon was lawful.