THE TRAMWAY DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16407, 30 December 1918, Page 6

THE TRAMWAY DISPUTE.

BASIS OF .SETTLEMENT. .AIEETIXG OF BOARD. After sitting in committeo for a considerable period on Saturday morning, the Christchurch Tramway Board adopted the report of its representatives appointed to meet the Tramway Union relative to tho Union's demands for an increase in wages, and tho reinstatement of motormen dismissed for disregard of rules. All the members of tho Board wero present with tho exception of Mr T. H. Davey, who was out of town, and who sent an apology lor absence. In moving the adoption of the report, the chairman (tho Hon. J. Ban'. M.L.C.) said ho thought the matter should be settled, and it was a good time to settlo it. It was the Christmas season, and both parties probaMv had the greatest desire to get rid of all annoyances. His' only hope was that the agreement which had been entered into would bo observed. Ho could not help referring to the fact, as one who had appeared as a Labour representative from time to time in the Arbitration Court, that ho had always looked upon the giving of an award by the Court as the end of a dispute for tho time stated therein. Ho regretted to state that there had boon a departure from this rule, which had boon ono of tho sonetr; of success in connexion with the elimination of industrial strife. In tho present case a promise had been given that the matter, so far as wages and hours were concerned, would not bo raised again until the Arbitration Court had an opportunity of dealing with it under clause 16 of tho War Legislation Amendment Act of last session. That would give tho Board a spell, and he had no doubt that wh it had happened would bo a lesson to ail parties, and that the dictum of tho ; Court would bo strictly observed. Mr S. A. Staples seconded the motion, which was carried without further discussion. Following is tho report which was adopted by the Board The representatives of the committee to meet the Tramway Union relative to its demands of October 16th, for an increase in wages and the reinstatement of motormen dismissed for disregard of rules, hold thoir first conference with tho Union's delegates on November 14th. At that meeting the committee's representatives informed the Union's delegates that the Union's domand for Wellington rates would cost tho Board nearly £10,000 per annum. The 7£ per cent, bonus granted by the Board, and accepted as from October 28th, was estimated to cost the Board at least £0500 per annum. Your committee's representatives, taking as a basis for their calculations the data compiled by the Government Statistician (used from time to timo by the Union's secretary) were able to show that, taking into consideration the variation in cost of living as between Wellington and Christchurch, the 7£ per cent increase now in operation placed the Christchurch Tramway employees m a better position than those in Wellington.. It also showed that the 7i per cent, increase was more than the estimated increase in cost of living since tho agreement was arrived at in October. 1917, an agreement which subsequently was converted into an award of the Arbitration Court, and which will not expire until October Ist, 1919. A. suggestion to readjust the 7£ per cent, bonus by changing it into a flat rate per hour, was not entertained by the Union delegates. The committee's representatives were also required to deal with the six motormen who had been dismissed on October 26th under tho committee's instructions, for disregard of rulos, but whose re-employment the committee had stated would be favourably considered. The evidence showed conclusively that if the men concerned had followed the instructions which the Union had duly issued, viz., that the rule book be strictly observed, they would_ not have got into any trouble. The Union's delegates pleaded for leniency, on tho grounds that tho men concerned suffering from an excess of zeal in their participation in tho goslow policy,. and that if they were guilty all were guilty. Your representatives said that the evidence showed conclusively that there had been no victimisation as alleged by tho Union's delegatoFt, and that other dismissals would have followed quickly if the goslow policy had not been abandoned. Your representatives nevertheless offered to reinstate the men forthwith 'f tho whole trouble respecting wages were terminated by tho Union, tho bonus of .7J per cent, to ccntinuo until October, 1919. The reinstatement of three conductors was also introduced by tho Union's delegates. The proposal of your representatives that tw<> cases should bo dealt with by the Staff Com- I mittco was agreed to. | Your representatives had before them the fact that the Employees' Union, as part of the Transport Workers' Federation, wore in all probability being influenced by tho Advisory Board of that body, and knew that the said Advisory Board had submitted to tho ActingMinister of Labour and tho Minister of Public Works a request that: "A commission be appointed to onquiro into the pay and working conditions of tramway men throughout the Dominion, with tho view of making legislative provision for an eight-hour day or a 48-hour week and a living wage, and for overtime rates to be paid after eight hours' work. Broken shifts to bo spread over not more than twelve hours, similar to the railways." Your committee's representatives offered that tho Board should join with tho Union in requesting that a commission bo set up. Your representatives' proposals were to bo submitted to a moeting of tho [employees' Union on November 16th, but on account of the influenza epidemifc : the meeting was not held until December 7th. As a result a renewal of the conference was requested, and this took place on December 12th. Tho Union's delegates reportod that the Union could not accept the proposals of November 14th, and submitted the following proposal:—Reinstatement of the six motormen with payment in full for timo lost by them. Tho wages question to be the subject of further conference. A considerable amount of tim e was occupied at tho second conference in endeavouring to effect a settlement, and ultimately th e following proposal was submitted by your representatives:— _ (1) Wages to remain as at present, including the 7} per cent, bonus. (2) Six motormen to be roinstated and paid at same rate as paid to sufferers, from influenza viz., 30s per week for the- period from November 14th to December 16th, this provision being agreed to because of the difficulties ot calling a Union meeting tho epidemic. [The above to subject to a complete agreement being arrived at.] (3) The conductors' cases to bo submitted to tho Btaff sub-committoa on completion of settlement. It will be noted that th© proposal of the Advisory Board regarding a commission to investigate working conditions was droppod by the Union representatives, and was not again mentioned by them. The reception by the Union's delegates of your representatives' proposals on December 12th was such that the representatives had reason to bolieve that a settlement would bo effectod, and were therefore surprised to learn in the first place through tho columns of tho public Press that the proposals had been rejected.

Following the reception by the Works and Traffic Committee of the representatives' progress report on December 20th, the Union was informed that no

further increase in wages would be givon, but that tho Board would itself tako steps to obtain a review of hours of work and wages by tiio Arbitration Court. This course had been suggested to tfl© Union's delegates at tnc hrst conference, but not accepted by them. Your representatives also Miggosted that tho Board snould join witn tho Union in requesting tii 0 Tramway Appeal Board to waivu any 'technical point respecting time limitations, and to deal with the enses of the dismissed motormoil. This suggestion was, however, not acceptable to the Union delegates.

The Union secretary wrote on December 24th that tli e proposals of your committee's representatives that tho question of wages bo to tho Arbitration Court was accepted by the Union, and suggesting that another conference be lie:d on the other matrters. At this third conference tho Union's delegates assented to tho Board's Arbitration Court, proposal if the discharged motormen were reinstated. all time lost to W paid for. Your representative thereupon regarded _ tho Union's acquiescence in the Arbitration Court proposal as taking the placo of the complete settlement condition which tliev had previously insisted upon, and offered to reinstate the six motormen and one conductor on the following alternative conditions: — (1) Investigation of all tho circumKtnnces bv the labour Department as snf nested* to tho Union by the Minister for"Labour, or. if the Union preferred, an investigation by the Tramway Appeal Board, oil which the I uion has representative. If either of thoso investigations showed that the Board was in the wrong, full wages would willingly be naid from date of dismissal (October 20t!^. (2) The second choice was no investigation bv outside tribunals, but payment of l'p.lf wages from November 2nd to December 36 th. The Union's delegates preferred tho second choice, and tho matters in dispute can therefore bo considered sottled. In conclusion, your representatives wish to sav that tliev have been impressed with tho belief that if tho Union's executive could have arranged for a plebiscite of the whole Union ; or even for a full meeting of the Union, tho recent protracted trouble would have been settled much earlier.

STATEMENT BY MR HUNTER. Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the Union, lias forwarder to us the following statement: — . i Have read the report of the Christchurch Tramway lioard's sub-coinmittev, which appeared in the evoning journals of 28th instant. I am sorry tnat the sub-committee deemed it necessary to depart from a simple statement in reference to the terms agreed upon, because the report is of such a nature that, in fairness to the Union, I am compelled to make somo comments 'Q relation thereto. Regarding the Government Statistician's figures, the General Managor.Mr F. Thompson, used only such portions of them as suited his purpose. Ho conveniently ignored the fact that it takes 28s Id to purchase to-day what could bo purchased for 20s in July, 1914. Me also persistently ignored the iact that the present Christchurch tramway agreement was based on the Wellington agreement of September, 1917. The reference to the attitude of tho Union's delegates in regard to the reinstatement of tho motormen at the conference ia contrary to fact. Ihe Union's delegates absolutely refused to put the motormen on trial, when such a courso was proposed by the Board s representatives, because, in the first place, the Board had promised to reinstate them, and secondly, in our opinion, they had not any offence, but were victimised with a specific object in view. Tho committee insisted on reading the charges against one motorman, three charges, and that was tho full extent of the investigation. What the committee alleges was said in reference to the motormen was said in reference to the conductors only, viz., that they had erred because of an excess of zeal, and because that wa9 tho case we agreed to argue on their behalf before the Board's staff subcommittee for their reinstatement. Everybody is now familiar with tho Board's dignity-saving phrase "favourable consideration'' thanks to the manliness of Messrs T. H. Davey and W. J. Walter. . Mr Barr informed the conference that he was familiar with tho proposal, made by the Transport Workers' Advisory Board to the Minister of Public Works at the instance of the Tramways Federation that an investigation should be made into the intolerable working conditions of tramway men throughout tho Dominion, and bo suggested, by way •» a concession, I take it, that tne_ Tram.way Board should Trith tho local Union in moving in a similar direction. Whilst w 6 are glad to have the assuranco of tho Board that it is prepared to co-operate with us in securing an enquiry into the working conditions of tramway men, wo are not dealing with that aspect of our troubles at present, but. are after more money, therefore when the proposal was put forth as an inducement to accept the 7J per cent, offered, it could not be soriously considered. The proposal of _ the Hon. W. H. Herries, Acting-Minister oft Labour, that the Union's charge of victimisation against the Board should bo referred to the Crown Law officers, is rather lato in tho day, in view fact that the whole matter was investigated by the Labour Department nearly two months ago. I don't know what baa happened to the report. Perhaps the Hon. W. F. Massej has got it in hi* portmanteau, but it ie about time it was Driven effect to whatevor its nature may be. Therefore, with all due respect to tho Hon. W. H. Herries, *'o preferred to settle the question forthwith. even to the extent of sacrificing half pay rath«r than have the question hung up indefinitely.

NORMAL RUNNING RESUMED IS DUNEDIN. (SPECIAL TO "XHJS FBKSS.") DUNEDIN, December 28. The city tramways were running to the time-table service to-day. The employees, as a body, aro quite willing to give effect to the suggestion of the Acting-Minister of Labour that a further conference should be held, and having in view the common interests, in which are specially included the interests of the public, they have, by resuming normal duty } removed anv impediment on their side to the holding of the conference. The City Corporation's representatives have also removed a difficulty by reinstating the men who were .suspended. Mr W. H. Hagger, Conciliation Commissioner, has been instructed by the Government to hold himself in readiness for the conference, _ and he will act as chairman. It is hoped that when the parties come together, each side will be empowered to come to a final settlement of the whole matter.

(feess association telegram.) DUNEDIN, December 29. The tramway workers dropped the go-slow policy yesterday, and the cars ran to schedule time. A special meeting of the City Council will be held on Tuesday, when the DepotyMavor will submit a proposal to be maae at a conference with the men. If the proposal is accepted by the Council, the conference will probably be held on Friday.