THE DRIVERS' DISPUTE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10717, 22 October 1912, Page 5

THE DRIVERS' DISPUTE

AWARD OF ARBITRATION COURT j (fill Telegraph—Fnss Association-) j CHE ISTGHURCuF 1, Last Night. The award of the Arbitration Court in the drivers dispute has been hand- j ed to the parties.' It was proposed by the Drivers' Federation to apply fr;r a J Dominion award under the Act of ! 1911, but owing to defective legisla- 1 tion on tlje siibject tliis was found to be impossible. Applications for local | awards were made, therefore, in Auckland, Gisbome, Wellington, Wa- | nganui, Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin, and these were heard as one dispute in 'Wellington on September 17th and 18th. They were treated as being in substance, though not m | form, applications for a Dominion award. The Court, in a memo, says: ! "The principal change.:? made by the new awards in the existing conditions are: (1) Attendance to horses has ( been 1 imited to eight hours per week. There is no doubt that in the past some employers have made im- J proper use of the right to require a driver to attend to horses without any limit as to time, and some restriction on the subject is necessary: (2) The time occupied by the driver in going from and returning to the stable is to come as part of his working hours. (3) The wages of drivers have been increased. In the eitv of Wellington the increase is Is per week; m A lie?'land, Chri stall urcli, and Dunedin the increase is Is per week. M) The r-tes for casual drivers have been increas- ' ed. The* Auckland city award is limited to the area lying within a radius of 10 miles of the chief post oftiee there, as only employers in or al oi.it the city were made parties to tlie dispute. A similar award will be made j to operate in Hamilton, when the j necessary application is made to the Court. The position is the same with j regard to the Christchurch award. A | similar award will be made to operate j in Timaru and Ashburton when the necessary application is made to the Court. Three awards have been made in the Wellington district, as there are three unions there and three separate disputes originated there. Tt was impossible to consider the individual applications for exemption, and a general clause had been introduced giving the Court power to exempt anv employers who have not. been bound by the awards previously made in connection with drivers, arid who are ongaged in any business not previously brought' under the operation of such award. The minimum wages are: One horse £2 8s per week; two or more horses. £2 12s. Casual drivers to be paid Is Hd per hour for one horse, and Is 3d for more. Overtime is to be Is 3d and Is fid respectively, and is to commence after hours have been worked in any one day. A casual driver is defined as one not employed for a week or more. On Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday casual drivers shall be paid 2s fid per hour. The wages for youths are fixed at—lS to 19 years, £1 ss; 19 to 20, £1 10s; 20 to 21s, £1 15s. The proportion is to be one to one, and after that one to each four additional drivers. Bakers are to be allowed to employ youths under 18 years at 12s fid per week and found, or £1 unfounded. Others 18 to 19 years, 15s or £1 8s; 20 to 21, £1 or £1 10s; the proportion to be one to one, and one more for each three additional drivers; provided that any employer who cannot find a fully-paid driver. ' may employ one youth.