TWO DAYS EXTRA.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19212, 19 January 1928, Page 7

TWO DAYS EXTRA.

—+ ■ " LINE-SCRATCHERS'" HOLIDAYS.

TRAMWAY BOARD'S CONCESSION

When the question of annual holidays for tramway employees came before the Conciliation CounciJ yesterday the position of the "lina-scratchers" was discussed. Mr E. Snow, secretary of the Tramway Workers' Union, said that "l>nescratchers" should receive fifteen days' holiday in the year, as they worked on the majority of public holidays. Th« employees' assessors had lost sight of; this fact at the last dispute and "linescratchers" received only ten days holiday. . "Are you prepared to retain th» old holidays for other permanent way, men if we meet you somewhat regard* ing track-cleaners?" asked Mr J. A« Flesher. "Don't call them 'linescratchers,'" he added, "it sounds like an old hen."

Mr Snow said they would be prepared to meet the Board there if .tha men's service was regarded aa continuous where they had been put ofE work for only a week or so during the winter.

Mr Flesher said he-did not think the Board would prejudice an employee if he was off for only a month! or two.

Sir J. Wood: I think you can take that for granted. Mr K. McCallum said the general impression amongst the men was otherwise. They believed that even fifteen years' service would not count if they were put off for a short period, and they would lose their annual holiday. Mr Flesher said he was sure, knowing the Board as he did, that it would not adopt such an attitude. He thought they would allow men put off during the winter exigency th e ir holiday when they completed tho twolve months' work.

Mr W. Havward • We can promise that, where they were off for only a few weeks. It was then agreed that the holiday clauses should remain as in ihe old award, except in the case of trackcleaners, where twelve days would bo allowed in place of ten. "The biggest concession we've received so far," said nn employees' representative.