THREAT OF STRIKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 15, 28 October 1938, Page 3

THREAT OF STRIKE

AUCKLAND DRIVERS’ PLAINT. DELAY IN ISSUING AWARD. DOMINION STOPPAGE POSSIBLE

AUCKLAND', October 27. Roughly 800 members of the Auckland Drivers’ Union decided at a mealing to-night that if a conference between their executive and the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) in Auckland to-morrow is not productive of satisfaction of their demands' for improved conditions, they may decide, at a special meeting next Tuesday night, to stop work as from the following morning. It was learned that such a move would have the support of all unions affiliated with the national federation, which won id mean 111,500 men becoming idle throughout the Dominion. Other than to say that the Minister was coming to Auckland from Rotorua for the specific purpose of conferring with the union executive, the secretary, Mr L. G. Matthews, declined to comment.

The question at issue is the delay in ail announcement by the Arbitration Court of the drivers’ award, which expired a year ago. Application was then made for a new awal'd, and the parties met in conciliation in February and March of this year. Since the Court pronounced in February that an increase of 5s a week should be made to meet the increased cost of living, the union considered its members had lost at least that much weekly for eight months. It is understood that there were some differences of opinion among the men at the meeting. One section wished to give the executive a free hand blits negotiations with Mr Armstrong on the argument that since the matter was in the hands of the Arbitration Court, he could not give a decision. The other viewpoint was that the executive should take an unequivocal stand, and demand the following clauses written into the award: A 40-hour week (at present 44 in the city and suburbs); two weeks’ annual holiday, an allround increase of 10s a week, to be retrospective from last February.