DRIVERS’ CLAIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1938, Page 5

DRIVERS’ CLAIMS

ATTITUDE OF THE UNIONS NO STRIKE .THREAT AT PRESENT HOPES OF AN AGREEMENT WITH EMPLOYERS CONFERENCE LIKELY THIS WEEK (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A probability that a conference will be held in Wellington this week between representatives of the New Zealand Drivers’ Federation, the New Zealand Federation of Labour and the employers is the latest development in the position reached through the dissatisfaction of the workers with the drivers’ award recently issued by the Second Court of Arbitration.' The secretary of the New Zealand Drivers’ Federation, Mr F. C. Allerby, stated yesterday that the Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin unions had already endorsed a proposal . that a conference be arranged with the employers in an effort to secure a more equitable adjustment of wages. The Westland, Taranaki and Southland unions would meet this week to discuss the proposal submitted to them by the federation. Mr Allerby emphasized that no strike' action was contemplated in the meantime, and said that negotiations would be conducted through the normal channels.

An entirely false impression, said Mr Allerby, had been created by the Press Association message from Auckland, which intimated that the Federation of Labour would seek a conference with the Prime Minister and would ask him to have the award revoked.

“That'position was not discussed nor contemplated by the Auckland union,” said Mr Allerby, who added that the meeting had decided to leave the matter in the hands of the national organization to work in conjunction with the New Zealand Federation of Labour. The Government had indicated that it did not intend to interfere with an award of the court.

“We are hopeful that satisfactory results' will be obtained by a conference with the employers,” concluded Mr Allerby. THE WELLINGTON MEN MEETING LAST NIGHT APPEAL TO NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION ■ (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Upward of 500 members of the Wellington Drivers’ Union attended a meeting in the Trades’ Hall last night, when the drivers award was discussed. The following motion was carried:— • “This meeting of Wellington drivers expresses its entire dissatisfaction with the terms of the motor and horse drivers’ award recently issued by the Second Court of Arbitration. The memorandum to the award signed by Mr Justice Hunter proves that the award is based not on the evidence and arguments produced at the hearing, but on preconceived ideas of the majority of the court, which were formed on evidence tendered in cases other than the drivers. “This meeting calls on the New Zealands Drivers’ Federation to take all possible steps to' secure redress front the unjust conditions embodied in the award, and to that end it shall seek the assistance of the New Zealand Federation of Labour in order that an effective fight may be, put up. “This meeting expresses its warm appreciation of the work of Mr A. W. Croskery, the workers' representative, on the court.” ' AUCKLAND DECISION MEN WILL NOT ACCEPT NEW AWARD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 7. “The final decision of the men is that they will not accept the new award," said Mr L. G. Matthews, secretary of the Auckland Drivers’ Union, today. “It is the unanimous opinion of the union that the Second Court of Arbitration should have made some departure from the terms of the old award,” he said. "We have the old award again in all its aspects except that there is an all-round increase of 5s a week. The Court has taken no notice of the volume of strong evidence subbmitted for a change in conditions. Apart from the extra 5s weekly, the men are to receive exactly the same money they were getting in 1925, which has been continued ever since then." Mr Matthews emphatically denied a rumour that yesterday’s meeting of the union was convened to decide whethei the men should go to work this morning or not. The question of a stoppage was never discussed; the men did not desire to strike if other ways of settling the dispute could be found. They were hopeful of results.