DRIVER’S DISPUTE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 222, 3 July 1939, Page 6

DRIVER’S DISPUTE.

REPLY TO MR PARLANE.

ATTITUDE OF THE*EMPLOYERS

(Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, This Day. Replying to Mr Parlane (president of the Drivers’ Federation), Mr H- J • Knight (secretary of the New Zealand, Carriers’ Federation and New Zealand Road Transport Alliance) says that the Auckland Union officials came to Wellington not to meet the disputes committee, as such a meeting could hot be arranged in the time, but to state the Auckland Union’s complaints. The Auckland Union had instituted a case for action by the Labour Department in respect to the case mentioned by Mr Parlane, the ruling given proving that overtime was not payable, as Mi Pailane stated. In three years no disputes committee had been invoked by tho Union on any case whatever and it seemed unreasonable that less than a day’s notice bo given by the Union wlien one is demanded. Tho employers were still prepared, as they always had been, to confer with tho Union s officials with a view to amicable settlement of any alleged grievances and this despite the disproportionate amount of time that had been demanded of them for this very purpose during the past year, and also despite tho fact, as was clearly shown at the meeting on Friday, that in each of the cases complained of there had been strict compliance with the award on tho part oi the employers. The employers are appreciative of their responsibilities under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and tho drivers’ award and had no intention,, moreover, of departing from tho constitutional procedure. If unions will act similarly no troubles need arise, as any that do will obviously be of their own making.