ENGINE-DRIVERS' AWARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 65, 16 March 1916, Page 7

ENGINE-DRIVERS' AWARD.

I BEFORE THEtetBT. J MANY EXEMPTIONS' WANTED. CASE OF DAIRY FACTORIES. W The heariDg of the aj plication for a new award by the Auckland Certificated Engine Drivers' Union was commenced this morning by the Arbitration Court, his Honor Mr. Justice Srtinger presiding. Mr. A. Rosser appeared for the union, and Mr. S. E. Wright for the employers. The principal points in the union's demands were as follows: —A working week of 40 hours; overtime at the rate of time and a quarter for tho first two hours, and time and a half thereafter; wages, men witli first-class certificates, 11/ti a day, second class, 10/9, traction ar locomotive drivers, 11/lif, work done outside the ordinary hoirrs in getting up steam or banking fires to be paid at the rate 5/ a week; compulsory membership of i union within 14 days of employment. The term aslied for the award was the period of the war, or two years at most. DAIRY WORKERS' CONDITIONS. Mr. Wriglirj applied for exemption on behalf of thi; New Zealand Dairy Association and other dairy factory proprietors cited aii parties. Mr. Rosser stated that the dairy factories had lieen cited experimentally in. the last Wellington dispute, but had been exempted from the award conditionally on their paying the award rates of wages and overtime. It had been necessary for uniformity, and for other reasons, to cite them in this case. Herbert Edward Pacey. managing direetir of the New Zealand Dairy Association, called by Mr. Wriglrt, stated that the engine-drivers in his firm's employ ought not to be bound by tho provisions of an ordinary engine-driers' award, as they were working under special conditions. In the busy season the week's work went up to «CA hours, and in the slack season it dropped to 37* hour;, the averages for .Tune and November being 41 and Gl hours respectively. The men were paid the same rate all the year round, averaging nearly 1/3J an hour. They alao had a fortnight's "holiday each year on full pay, and certain perquisites in the way of butter and milk to the extent of about 10/ a week. I Some of them were provided with cottages. ALLEGED VICTIMISATION. Mr. Rosser remarked that he had no means of chocking the figures. He had received a good deal of testimony by means of letters (lie would admit that they werr anonymous) to the effect that a state of victimisation existed in the dairy industry, and that everything was not fair, smooth and above-board. His Honor: Well, then, they should form a union of their own. Mr. Rosser replied thart onordairy factory manager near Te Awamutu who tried to form a union was summoned to Auckland and threatened with dismissal if he went on with th»; scheme. He wondered that Mr. Pacoy had the audacity to come into Court and say that a separate union ..would, be preferable. After another witness had been heard, his Honor intimated that the Court considered that the dairy factories ought to be exempted in view of the special circumstances of their case. The City Council wae exempted in -re[pard to engine, drivers at the abattoir waterworks, and on road condition that the prevaißn<» conditions of employment wore nwirTtamed. Consideration of an application on behalf of the Harbour Board wa f deferred after evidence had been m that the men wore enjoying better conditions than the union's proposals required. tioT «f r ° Sa - <1 t t,,P "°R*«t«l ex-emp-t.on of onginertr vera emplovod on r J e . ■worke, Mr Wrisrht stated that tliese men worked seven shifts a week, and the c™ r^ndiyf Cd t0 W!n " doUble time After some evidence ha<l been. l, ea rd his Honor said that apparnntly no overtime was paid for work done over and above 48 boon a week. It Would be fair to bind the companies to the mini- ! ™ urn and the payment of overtime. Mr Wright ,put in a special counterproposal oflVrin-r the mem full time for a se-Tiour week, wlfli one ■week's holiday per annum on full pay in lieu o f overtime. Consideration uiis deferred in this ease, and in those of the Auckland Gas Co.. Kempthorne, Prosscr and Co., the cement companies, and a number of other concerns, meet of which work day and nijrht shifts. Referring to the demands, Mr Wright intimated that the employers would accept the clauses of the, Wellington award with respect to houre of work (48 hours a week, in shifts or otherwise), overtime (first three hours time and aquarter, thereafter tirftc and a-half.), ■holidays, and preference (compulsory union membership within one month). One -witness was heard with Tegard to the conditions of enginedriveis' "work in the timber trade, and both sides then agreed to leave matters in the hands of the Court without further discussion, his Honor remarking that the exemptions seemed to have been fhe real bone of contention.