BONUS AND WAGES

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17811, 10 July 1923, Page 8

BONUS AND WAGES

CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES. ADJUSTMENTS TO BE MADE. Certain adjustments axe being made by the City Council to eliminate anomalies in wages arising out of the recent decision to establish the rates of pay according to award terms by cutting out the bonuses as authorised by the Arbitration Court The Finance Committee reported to the City Council last night that anomalies had occurred in carrying out the resolution of tbe Council regarding the reduction of the bonus. The committee had been able to adjust a tew of such ..anomalies and recommended that a Special Committee, consisting of the chairman of standing committees, be set up. to deal with the remainder. Cr. E. McCombs moved that Cr. Cooke should be added to the Special Committee. * Cr. C. P. Agar moved that the matter should be referred to the finance Committee with the chairma.ii of €he Standing Committee concerned to be in attendance. This was seconded by Cr. J. K. Archer, who said that particulars of the anomalies removed should be reported. Cr. Agar said that a full report would be supplied later. The. corrimittee had ruled that men wuo had received an increase in salary, which was not in the nature of a bonus, should not have their pay reduced. • The clause as amended by Cr. Agar, was ad«pted The committee also reported that it had gone carefully into the question of drivers' wages and recommended that those wages be provided for as in the local bodies' drivers' award, which were as follows: One or two horse drivers Is 8d per hour, plus Council bonus of Jd per hour, £4 2s per week. Unuer the motor-car and horse drivers' award the wages would be: One horse driver £3 17s, plus Council bonus of id per hour, £3 19s per week ; two horee drivers, £3 19s 6d, plus Council'bonus of id per hour, £4 Is 6d per week. ' A Teeter was received from the Canterbury Drivers' Union asking that a conference be arranged between tho Council and the Union to discuss wages and conditions to form the basis of a new agreement in connexion with tbe Council's drivers. ' Cr. P. R. Cooke moved that the request be agreed to and that the clause in the committee's report be referred Cr'. H. T. Armstrong, who seconded, said the' Drivers' Union had alway3 dealt with the Council in the matter of coming to an agreement. In Wellington and 'Auckland the Drivers' Union had come to an agreement with the Councils on the matter of the wajjes and conditions of work of the drivers emploved by the Councils. Cr. "J. W. Beanland said it would be better for the Council's employees to form themselves into a separate union as the tramway men did. The Counoil coutci then deal with all the employees, and not a section of tbem as was now proposed. He believed that would be better for all parties. Cr. J. K. Archer: Are the Councii'e drivers under any award? Cr. Agar: The drivers are under the Local Bodies' award and receive a larger rate of pay under that award than under the ordinary award. Cr. Archer said the decision of the Arbitration Court was that drivers working for a City Council did not belong either to a drivers' union or the Local Bodies' Union', but stood on their Ct. said the committee considered an injustice had been done to the drivers and were prepared to remedy that injustice. Tho_ proposed conference would not be prejudiced by adopting the committee's report. Cr. K J. Howard said trie Arbitration Court did not give the wages of the Council's employees, but only stipulated a minimum. The amendment proposed by Cr. i!. R. Cooke was put and carried.