THE TRAMWAYMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1920, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYMEN.

WAGES AND CONDITIONS. ! APPLICATION FO.R AWARD. _ Yesterday, at a sitting of the Arbitration Court in New Plymouth, the New Plymouth tramwaymen's Union made application for at/ award regarding rates of pay and conditions. Mr. A. Monteach represented the Union, and Mr. R. H. Bartley (tramways manager) appeared for the Borough Council. The chief points in dispute were aa follows: _ Motormen"s wages.—LTnion's application Is 9d and Is lid per hour. Council's offer Is fid, Is 9Jd, and is lOd per hour (according to service) plus Jd per hour bonus. Trackmen, £4. 15s per week. Council's offer £4 3s, plus Id per hour bonus. Shed hands Is lid per hour, Council's offer £4 3s per week, plus Jd per hour bonus. Sunday work.—Double time; Council's offer time and a half. Mr. Monteath said that the Union's application was based on rates paid in other towns and practically was to bring New Plymouth in line with the Dominion rates. He particularly stressed the claims of the shed hands, who were under a different category in Ntw Plymouth because they were not only doing shed work but also adjusting and painting, for which higher wages were paid elsewhere. Regarding Sunday work, he pointed out that Napier and Wanganui paid double time, and in Auckland, in addition to receiving this, the men also got one day off in the week. In New Plymouth the men worked five Sundays out of eight, and they should be recompensed fully. The whole of the wages in tlie service on Sunday would oply amount to £l7 10s. On the question of holidays he pointed out that in other systems the men got 12 days off, being equal to time and a half for the eight statutory holidays during the year. Mr. Bartley pointed out that the New Plymouth system wits one of the smallest in New Zealand. The conditions of working were different from those operating elsewhere, and were not as severe on the employees. The Council had endeavored to be as fair as they could in the matter of the award. Dealing with various points in tlie award, Mr. Bartley said they would like to keep to the system of paying shed hands a weekly wage instead of hourly as suggested. For Sunday work the Council could not go beyond the offer of time and a half, and in respect to holidays the speaker said that the system adopted was based on length of service, which he thought was the fairest. He pointed out that in addition to guaranteeing a 48-hour week (which eliminated the chance of competition) tlie 'Council also provided uniforms, free travelling to and from work, and holiday on full pay. He remarked that recent statistics presented showed that New Plymouth was the cheapest town in New Zealand in tlie matter of cost of living. Other matters discussed included the question of time allowed for signing on and off and the preference clause. The Court reserved consideration.