DRIVERS UNHAPPY

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31117, 21 July 1966, Page 3

DRIVERS UNHAPPY

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 20. Drivers in Auckland would continue “industrial action” in their search for a higher ruling wage rate, the secretary of the Northern Drivers’ Union (Mr G. H. Andersen) said today.

Mr Andersen said the increase of 15s a week agreed today in conciliation in Wellington did not provide the drivers with an adequate living wage. It reinforced the opinion of the Northern Drivers’ Union that the procedures of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act were not able

to provide satisfactory ruling rates. The ruling rate dispute which began in Auckland with the Bitumix case would be broadened to include other drivers, said Mr Andersen. The union would continue to demand a ruling rate of Is 4d an hour above the award rate—the same rate it claimed in the Bitumix case two months ago.

National road transport operators and the Driver’s

'Federation reached complete agreement with the conciliation commissioner (Mr C. L. Hunter) in Wellington today on a new award. The agreement, still to be ratified by the Court of Arbitration, gives a wage rise of 15s weekly, increased trailer allowances, an hour extra double time on Saturday mornings, a wet weather clothing allowance of Is 6d a week, and three weeks’ paid holiday from the tenth year with the same employer. An important gain for country drivers is double-time payment on working public and I statutory holidays. ! The federation had not received the increases it had sought, but in other ways was happy with the agreement, said its president (Mr M. Sullivan). The wet weather clothing allowance and the public and statutory holiday payments had long been sought without success, he said. The assistant secretary of the Employers’ Federation (Mr P. L. Oldham) said the employers had varied their previous offer, made some months ago in conciliation, on only two points. These were the extra hour’s double time on Saturday morning, and the Is 6d weekly for wet weather clothing.