DRIVERS’ DISPUTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1939, Page 3

DRIVERS’ DISPUTE

REPLY BY EMPLOYERS TO UNION. STILL PREPARED TO CONFER. (By Telegrapn—press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The employers were still prepared, as they had always been, to confer with the union's officials with a view to the amicable settlement of any alleged grievances, said Mr H. J. Knight, secretary of the New Zealand Master Carriers’ Federation and the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, when replying yesterday to a statement made on Saturday by Mr A. Parlane, president of the New Zealand Drivers’ Federation, who referred to the meeting held in Wellington to consider Auckland questions in dispute under lhe New Zealand Motor and Horse Drivers' award. Mr Knight added that the employers had no intention of departing from constitutional procedure. He held that if the unions would act similarly no trouble need arise.

“Mr Parlane indicates in a Press statement on Saturday,” said Mr Knight, "that officials of the Auckland Union came to Wellington with the object of having the matters in dispute referred to a disputes committee, as a result of prior agreement by the employers concerned, whereas, as he well knows, nothing more than an arrangement to meet and hear the Auckland Union’s complaints could possibly be accomplished in 'the time. In actual fact, the Auckland Union held a stopwork meeting on Wednesday last and decided, as reported in Wednesday’s Press, that its officials would travel to Wellington that night and have the matters considered by a disputes committee on the following day. The newspaper report referred to was also the first intimation that the employers concerned had that there was any question in dispute.

“It was clearly demonstrated at the meeting between the parties on Friday last that the principal question which the union claimed was in dispute was already the subject of consideration’ and this the Auckland Union could have easily ascertained without the necessity of a stop-work meeting and the resultant conference. In regard to the case quoted by Mr Paalane, which, as he states, the employers refused to refer to a disputes committee, the fact is that the Auckland Union officials had already instituted action by the Department of Labour, which has given a ruling, and proves Mr Parlane’s contention that overtime should really have been paid to be entirely incorrect. Had the union elected to demand a disputes committee in respect to this case in the first instance, instead of referring it to the Labour Department, it would doubtless have been arranged, but the union apparently wants two strings to its bow. “It is also interesting to note that this case is the first and only one arising in the three years that the particular clause in the award has been operative; also that in all that time no disputes committee has been invoked by the union on any question whatsoever. It seems unreasonable that less than a day’s notice should be given by the union when one is demanded, even if the question concerned were properly one for a disputes committee. “Mr Parlane is apparently concerned, and with some reason, at the possibility of militant action by his Auckland union in preference to constitutional methods, and hurriedly endeavours to put out a sheet anchor to windward by stating that employers will be to blame if ‘trouble arises.’

“Employers of drivers are still prepared, as they have always been, to confer with the union’s officials with a view to the amicable settlement of any alleged grievances, and this despite the disproportionate amount of time that has been demanded of them for this very purpose during the past year, and also in spite of it being clearly shown at last Friday’s meeting that in each of the cases complained of there had been strict compliance with the award on the part of the employers concerned.

“Employers are appreciative of their responsibilities under the I.C.A. Act and the drivers’ award, and have no intention of departing from constitutional procedure. If the unions will act similarly no troubles need arise, as any that do will obviously be of their own making.”