Bus Drivers Raise Claim

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 1

Bus Drivers Raise Claim

CBy Our Industrial Reporter; Christchurch Transport Board bus drivers have increased their claim for a wage increase. They are now asking for a margin of 9.6 c an hour above the national award, instead of the 7c pre* viously sought.

The new claim will be presented to the Transport Board today. Last Wednesday the board rejected the 7c claim and offered 3c instead. This in turn was rejected by the bus drivers at a special meeting on Sunday morning.

As a gesture of good will, however, the Sunday meeting lifted its ban on voluntary overtime and rescinded its decision to hold a strike one day a week. Some members did not realise that the strike decision had been reversed. These included an officer of the union who reported on Sunday evening that the decision to hold a 24-hour strike once

a week had not been withdrawn.

The decision to raise the wage demand was made yesterday by the executive of the Christchurch Tramway Workers’ Union, and was obviously based on the news that Wellington bus drivers had just won a disputed 4.6 c ruling rate increase and now have a margin of 9.6 c above the award. On Sunday the executive issued a statement that, as a branch of the national union, Christchurch should have its complete wage structure brought into line with that of Wellington and Auckland. The executive has now decided that Auckland’s 5c margin is not enough and is claiming the Wellington rate of $1.22.6 an hour.