UNION PICNIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 85, 21 January 1942, Page 7

UNION PICNIC.

PROBLEM RAISED IN AUCKLAND. THE VIEW GF EMPLOYEES (P.A.) AUCKLANND, January 20. The annual picnic of the Watersiders.’ Union and the Drivers’ Union will be held to-morrow at Point Chevalier. This decision revives a question which figured prominently in Arbitration Court proceedings two years ago, when the disorganisation of transport by holding the Drivers’ Union picnic was strongly opposed by the employers. The employers this year complain of the lateness of notification, with reference to the picnic.

A Watersiders’ Union official said today that 4000 to 5000 people were expected to attend. Mr L. G. Matthews, secretary of the Drivers’ Union, traced the history of the movement to secure a picnic day, recalling that after abortive discussions late in 1939 the Arbitration Court in a reserved judgment, stipulated that drivers should observe the picnic day on the same day as the watersiders. Because of the lateness of the judgment it was impossible to arrange the picnic in the following year, and an agreement was reached to add an extra day to the annual holiday period. This year it had evidently been taken for granted by some employers that the same procedure would be followed but Mr Matthews could not understand why, because no representations had been made by the Employers’ Association to do other than observe to-mor-row as a picnic day. “A suggestion emanating from a prominent member of the Employers’ Association that drivers can be employed to-morrow under the terms of the Holiday Suspension Order cannot be agreed to,” said Mr Matthews. “We do agree, however, that in accordance with the terms of the award the drivers can be called upon to work a picnic day, conditional upon the award rate of pay being observed, namely time and a half additional to ordinary weekly wage. Unless this rate is paid we shall he reluctantly compelled not to work to-morrow.”