THE DRIVERS' AWARD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7821, 14 June 1909, Page 1

THE DRIVERS' AWARD.

Mr H. Hunter, secretary of the Canterbury Drivers' Union, in the annual report he submitted at a meeting on Friday evening, dealt with remarks made by Mr Justice Sim to tho Union's representatives when they appeared before the Court. He said that tho remarks showed the necessity for a federation of all the Drivers' Unions in the dominion. If the federation was established, the drivers would bo able to appoint delegates from each centre to draw up a model award and to fight for it unitedly in. Wellington. The gist of the president's remarks was : " Tho drivers' dispute is the same in every centre, and, as it lias been thoroughly gone into by the Court in Wellington, we will not go into it here. If tho Union here was to call 200 witnesses, and they wero unanimously in favour of an increase in wages, it would not weigh with this Court one iota. Therefore you had better meet the employers in conference again and take the Wellington award as a basis (less tho difference in the cost of house rent between the two places), and try to come to an agreement. You cannot expect to receive anything from this Court which is not embodied in the Wellington award." That attitude might have been warranted if the Wellington drivers had fought their case out in Court; but they did nothing of tho kind. All the conditions were agreed upon in conference with the employers there, and they only went to the Court in respect to the wages. The Canterbury drivers were determined to contest certain parts of_ the Wellington award which were considered unreasonable, but, after the Judge's remarks, they had to abandon their demands and act upon his suggestions. Ultimately, they obtained a better award than they had previously been working under. Tho increase in wages amounted to £5 4s a year to drivers in •constant employment, and Is l£d a day to casual drivers. The report was adopted by the meeting.