DRIVERS' HOURS

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 10

DRIVERS' HOURS

DISPUTED POINTS. SETTLEMENT MOVE. FURTHER CONFERENCE. ACTION BY FEDERATION. I The pfTurtf" being made ♦<-> remove I.v nptfot in t ion causes of dissatisfaction in tlip jrr-nrra 1 and local liixly drivers' awards. recently issued by t lip Second \rl•it in ti. i n ('"urt, arc to lip carried a -III7P further, for. according In flip spe'etnry of till l \ 111 k 111 11(1 I >t'iver«' I llintl. Mr. 1,. 1.. Mil 11 In-w s. it is believed lliiil '.ip c-ni} 110 \ i'r in ilip imlll — 11" v have '■,'rrcl in meet representatives of t lie I c(|prii 1 inn of I /it In hi r 11 iid t I'rivers' I' w|pi .it inn for the purpose nf discussing • I'fpiis in tlip awards. It is probable Ill.lt Ihp conference will be lipl<l in Wellinjrt .111 in about, a fortnight's ;ime. Mr. Matthews in id this morning thiiL ".irinii- aspects of the dispute and the t.r ijjrcss iniklp with tiP'jnt int ions would ' dis cussed nt 11 special meeting of 111 -• union on Tuesday evening. nnd infnriim 1 mi received since the Inst m 1 o-• ti r with 1 ip employers in Wellington would I»p I laced hpfore members. Anothe-r matter of vitnl importance w liieh Would be considered would be the intprprptjil ion of the First Arbitration ( mirt of the clause in thp drivprs' award « hieh gave drivers the rip-lit to the -111 limtr week in ease* whpre they were working in establishments and industries « here the 40-hour week was in operation. Since the Courts opinion was issued. added Mr. Matthews, it liad come to the union's knowledge—nnd it was helipvpd to be authentic—that in the meantime the employers were not prepared to abide by the (decision. The Nine hour Day. Matters in Ihe award which were pausing concern were discussed by Mr. Matthews. One of these was the provision for a nine hour day, for it was found in practice that it was opcrating detrimentally to the workers. The object of this clause in the first place was to ennhle drivers to complete their 41-hour . week on five days. However, the provision wa« being exploited by virtue of the fact that on numerous oeeaitong drWem had completed approximately 43 hour* by Friday evening and wera brought back U> work on the Saturday morning for perhaps one hour's work. The union believed, said Mr. Matthews, that the clause never intended to be operated in that manner. Ha agreed, nevertheleew, that the employer* were entitled to act as they wer* dotag under the terms of the award, but he would not admit, that in (vacillation with the employers such action was intended. The question of wages was another matter which it was desired the employers should review. In conference with the employers in Wellington recently the drivers' representatives asked that favourable consideration lie {riven to observing the principle of the 40-hour week, and where it was necessary for <n additional four hours to be worked thp union would be agreeable to the four hours Item? paid at ordinary rates i>f pay instead of at overtime rates. "Conciliatory Spirit." The original claim* by the employees II conciliation were for a straight ♦0-hour week, with an eight-hour day 1 iid overtime rates for anything beyond 'hose hours. Consequently, the union

.'pit that by suggesting to the employeri that it would be prpparod to Rpocp' '»nlinary rates of pay for ndditiona '.lours over 40 it was acting in a con tiliatory' spirit. Another cause for dissatisfaction Ti 'hat frequently in tlie net? award theri appeared the phrase "except for Setiou; •n Isconduct," declared Mr. Matthew* The union toolc strong exception to this for it considered that in the final analyst* the employer took upon himself f.lio position of Judge and jury when th« f|ue»tion arose' an to whether an employee vm being dismissed for seriou# misconduct. The- union in the pa*t had luid occasion to challenge employers in "uses wherf employees had been dismissed "for serious misconduct." It was. felt that the phrase used in the award definitely imposed a penalty on the workers to the extent that, where overtime was worked, payment for this extra work could' b* withheld on the rround that tho employee's services were dispensed with for serious misconduct. Driver* for Markets. Clause 2E of the award also had the •fleet of preventing quite a number of drivers from obtaining the benefit# of "he 40-honr week, In eo far as it permitted employers to make special arrangement* m to the hours of work when drivers were engaged in certain Industries, provided that in sucli cases sh© total number of weekly hours should not exceed 44 a week. For instance, said Mr. Matthews, the Markets, which came within the provisions of tho gtoremen'a and packers' award, which stipulated a 40-hour week, were allowed under tho clause rftwred to to work their drivers a 44inur week. Mr. Mattliows added that jo was satisfied that, if the City Markets and others could observe the 40-hour and Hi" t ,' , ° ir A1 Btorernpn aml pm^ers, Public Afr n I ! V " ,,mo to the m«L kili/T 1 L not c,iftlc " lt ,or *>•« •mo noun to be ohserved for drivers. Pstlsnce and Tolerance." ,lrW„| th T q " Mtion "- which eon<l de red to ho dofeets. had 1ie..., 'horoughly discussed by memliers <,f the Auckland union, and tliey were still lopeful that the employers would give •nme noiisiderat ion to I lie represent ions ma<l<' to (hern without having to •..sort to tho direct, method of settling 'lie dispute. The union believed i„ exploring every rntn-civnMe avenue to iuivn members' grievances settled in •i legitimate way. furthermore, said Mr. Mill thews in conclusion, on this occasion the workers were exercising ;>nt ience and tolerance where possibly I hey would he justified in using direct action to draw attention to their "riev- • nros.