CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1921, Page 8

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

DRIVERS' WAGES. AGREEMENT ARRIVED k A sitting of the Conciliation Council, under the presidency of the Commissioner (Mr. T. Marie Giles), was held yesterday to deal with the New Plymouth motor car and horse drivers’ dispute. This was filed by the employers and an agreement on all points was arrived at in conformity with a settlement made some time back at a Dominion conference held in Wellington. The agreement provides for a fortyeight hour week, exclusive of the time required for necessary attendance to horses and motor vehicles, which is provided for in separate clauses. Employers are at liberty to make special arrangements as to their hours of work with drivers attending early and late trains and steamers, or employed in connection with other works specified in the agreement, the overtime to be paid in regard to hours worked in excess of nine per day.

The following wages a l ’* set out in the agreement: Driving and attending one herse, £3 15s per week; two or more horses, £3 17s 6d; motor vehicles with carrying capacity ocwt to 1 ton, £3 18s; more than 1 ton and up to 2 Uns, £4 0s fid; up to 3 tons, £4 3s; over 3 tons’ capacity, £4 3s Gd. In addition a bonus of ten shillings per week is provided for. Stable work and attendance to motor vehicles is to be paid for at the rate of is 7d per hour f«r work done in excess of 4 hours per week in the case of one horse drivers, and in excess of night hours per week in the case of two horse drivers. Attendance on motor vehicles up to four hours per week will bo paid for at Is 8d per hour. All work done in excess of the foregoing hours is to be at overtime rates. The clause provides that the work shall lie performed when and as the employer requires. Youths may be employed at stable work at Is 3d per hour. The rate for casuals is Is lid per hour fer driving and attending to one horse, and 2s Id per hour for two or more horses. Overtime rates are: Horse drivers 2s 3d per hour, and between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 3s per hour; motor drivers 2s 4d per hour up to 2 tons, over 2 tons 2s O<l per hour, and between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 3s per hour. All time worked after 12.30 on the usual half-holiday is counted at overtime rates.

Casual drivers of motor vehicles of a carrying capacity of from ocwt to 2 tons are to be paid 2s hl per hour, for vehicles exceeding two tons the rate is 2s 3d per hour, and Overtime is fixed at 3s 3d per hour. Youths’ wages are set out as follows: IS to 19 years, £2 per week; 19 to 20, £2 6s; *2O to 21, £2 14s. Employers’ carrying on business as bakers are permitted to engage youths above the age of 16 years at rates varying from £1 Is 6d and found, or £1 14s dry pay up to £1 19s and found, 1 or £2 14s dry pay; these rates carry a bonus of 5s per week, and overtime on holidays shall be paid for at the rate of Is 64d per hour.

In the schedule of drivers' duties the agreement stated that part of an employee’s work shall be to assist when required loading and unloading a vehicle. Those exempted from the award include' agricultural and sheep farmers, livery stable keepers, coach, bus or cab proprietors, medical men, or dairymen engaged in delivering milk to customers. At the conclusion of proceedings, on the motion of Mr. <F. J. Lyons (assessor for the Union), seconded by Mr. C. IL Wynyard (employers’ representative), the commissioner was thanked for the expeditious Way in which he had conducted the proceedings, so as to enable the dispute to be placed before the Arbitration Court at its sitting in New Plymouth 4>n the 13th inst.