A FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21386, 31 January 1935, Page 9

A FORTY-HOUR WEEK

TRAMWAY BOARD'S EXPERIMENT NEW AGREEMENT WITH STAFF When their new agreement for working conditions comes into operation on March 1, the employees in the Christchurch Tramway Board's workshops will work a 40-hour week. The experiment has added interest because it accompanies an increase in wages. The tramwaymen will receive the increased pay from the first "pay" Monday in February. For the traffic and works departments, the increase will start from February 11, and for the permanent way men and night shift men from February 4. The increases in pay range from id to as high as 2£d an hour. Conductors will receive an additional Id an hour, their wages being raised from Is B£d to Is 9.} dan hour. A flat rate has been agreed on for motormen, and in this case the increase provided for is from Is 9d to Is IOJd an hour. In the past there has been extra pay for trolley-bus and one-man car drivers, but this provision has been abolished. A id an hour has been granted for all broken shift work, and the eight-hour day will be reverted to. Under the old agreement days of seven and nine hours were worked. Men employed in the permanent way department will receive an increase of lid, the increase being from Is BJd to Is lOd an hour. In the car section, the wages of day labourers will be increased from Is B£d to Is lid an hour, and the hours of work have been reduced from 44 a week to 40 hours. Other rates of pay that will operate in this section are as follows - Night car adjusters, Is lOd to Is lid an hour; pit men, is 9d to is lOd an hour; and car cleaners, Is Bsd to Is 9£d an hour. Holidays Increased The holidays have also been increased in several departments of the service. Permanent way men under the new scheme will receive 10 days' holiday annually instead of seven days, and the car shed section will receive eight days' holiday. The traffic night shift and overhead employees will be given the same holidays as last year, the duration of the holidays varying according to length of service as follows:—One year's service, eight days; two years', nine days; three years', 10 days; four years', 11 days; five years', 12 days; and six years' and over, 13 days, this representing an increase. The new agreement will operate for a term of one year.