TRAMWAYS CLAIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1938, Page 6

TRAMWAYS CLAIMS

WELLINGTON MEN OBJECT TO NEW AWARD CONFERENCE TO MEET TODAY DEMAND FOR RETROSPECTIVE PAY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' WELLINGTON, This Day. Dissatisfaction with the new award recently issued by the Second Court of Arbitration was expressed by two largely attended meetings of Wellington tramway employees on Monday. Wages and retrospective pay were the chief matters discussed. The secretary of the Wellington Tramway Employees’ Union, Mr W. N. Broadley, stated yesterday that a conference between the union officials and the tramways committee of the city council had been arranged for noon today, when the question of retrospective pay, in addition to grievances with the award, would be the major matters it was hoped to discuss. It is claimed that Wellington tramwaymen have not received any increases in wages since 1920, and that their present rates are the lowest for tramwaymen in New Zealand, and this despite the fact that the service is the only paying one in the Dominion. Rumours have been in circulation since the meetings were held that it is intended to inaugurate a go-slow tram service. It was stated yesterday that in the meantime there would be no stop-page or interference with the present time-table. The union had no intention in the meantime of adopting other than the normal procedure in an effort to reach an amicable settlement with the council ovei’ any grievances.