ENGINE-DRIVERS' WAGES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 270, 11 May 1912, Page 2

ENGINE-DRIVERS' WAGES

NEW AWARD SOUGHT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Wednesday. The chief point in dispute in the case of the engine-drivers which was before the Arbitration Court to-day was wages. The Court said it would consider an application for exemption in respect of the hospital and Costley Home. Mr. Kane, referring to wages, said the unions wanted an alteration made from so much a shift to so much an hour, which would mean that men would be paid for raising steam. He pointed out that the new regulations provided for a much more difficult examination than ] was the case when Mr. Justice Cooper ' made the award under which they were working. Mr. Bower, engineering coach, said that under the old regulations 'he generally expected to get a second certificate man sitting for a first certificate through in about three months, but now it took fully nine months. The examinations to-day were much more comprehensive than formerly. Mr. Grosvenor said employers held by the old award and contended that nothing that had occurred since was sufficient to warrant any alteration. Mr. Grosvenor asked for exemption on behalf of sevtral employers. The Court intimated that the points raised would he considered and a decision given at a later date.