DRIVERS' AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 127, 25 November 1938, Page 11

DRIVERS' AWARD

NO AMENDMENT

EMPLOYERS' REASONS

Holding the view that any attempt to alter the provisions of the Drivers' Award would" involve the violation of principles vital to the arbitration system, representatives of employers of drivers, after a conference with drivers' representatives, are of the opinion that the award should remain unaltered for its term of one year. The conference, which was held to give the workers' representatives an opportunity of' submitting to the employers matters arising out of the recent Drivers' Award, was attended by representatives of the New Zealand Federated Drivers' and Related Trades' Industrial Association of Workers and of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, the New Zealand Carriers' and Customs Agents' Association, and of other employers of drivers. Mr. T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, presided. The most important matter discussed was whether wages should be based on 40 hours, with any hours worked above 40 to be paid for, and the desirability that the wafes rates should bear the same relative position to the wages of other workers as was the case in past awards. . Several other matters, including retrospective pay, were discussed, after which an adjournment was taken to allow the employers' delegates to consider then* reply. On resumption of the conference, thf> employers submitted their considered reply as follows: —"Representatives of the employers of drivers have given careful consideration to the representations and requests made by the Drivers' Unions, and while they are of opinion that an award, better in some respects, might have been obtained during the conciliation proceedings, now that the award has been made, they feel that any attempt to alter its provisions would involve tho violation of principles which are vital to the arbitration system, and therefore have been forced to the conclusion that the award should remain un-, altered for its term of one year." j

Both sides expressed their appreciation of the spirit in which the discussions had been conducted, and the workers' representatives expressed their regret that no result had been obtained from the conference. They said they would report to their members the views expressed by the employers as well as the final reply.

Mr. C. O. Morse, of Napier, president of the Electric Supply Authorities' Association, is in Wellington on business. He intends to return to Napier tomorrow.