CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1916, Page 3

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SITTING AT NEW PLYMOUTH. DRIVEES' DISPUTE. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held at New Plymouth yesterday, to hear the dispute between .the Taranaki branch of the Auckland Motor-car and Horse Drivers' Industrial Union of Workers and employers in various parts of Taranaki. Mr. T. Harle Giles, Conciliation Commissioner for the Northern and Taranaki District, presided, and the assessors were: For the employers, Messrs. E. A. Craig (Auckland), W. S. Young (New Plymouth), and J. Masters (Stratford); for the union, Messrs. G. Davis and C. Weaver (Auckland) and F, J. Lyons (New Plymouth). The dispute, the Commissioner explained, was before {Tie council in November last, but at that time was adjourned so that the citation notice could be amended, a number of firms which should have been joined to the dispute having been omitted. There were several applications for exemption, but all, with the exception of that of the Moa Farmers' Dairy Company, were thrown out. This application, which was made on behalf of the company by Mr. E. Griffiths, was granted. The claims as set out by the union were on similar lines to those which have been before the Conciliation Council in other centres, and included increase of wages, etc. In reply to the Commissioner, Mr. Craig, on behalf of the employers, said they were prepared to accept the conditions of the existing Auckland award, leaving the question of wages to be settled by the Court of Arbitration. Mr. Davis, on behalf of the union, was not prepared to accept this, contending that the hours constituting a week's work should include the time required in attending to horses in stable. The dispute will, therefore, have to be dealt with by the Arbitration Court.