Drivers’ case secret

Press, 29 September 1979, Page 1

Drivers’ case secret

PA Wellington Details of the General Drivers’ Award case which will go to the Arbitration Court on Monday were withheld last evening after a reconvened meeting of the Conciliation Council in Wellington. Representatives of the Drivers’ Federation and road transport employers met with the conciliator (Mr J. Button). However, unlike earlier meetings of the council, the news media was excluded at the request of the drivers.

On Monday, the Court will be asked to settle the award which the Government has said must not go beyond 9.5 per cent and which the employers and the drivers had already agreed to settle on 11 per cent.

Since the Court cannot consider an already agreed award, the decision to go to arbitration meant that the verbal agreement reached on September 11 had to be cancelled. Parts that had been changed tp create a partial settlement for the Court to consider must remain confidential. said Mr Bufton. However, it is likely the council will ask the Court to set the level of wages and some allowances as well as to determine the length of the award. An award term inside

the 12-month rule could give the drivers an effective increase close to the 11 per cent the Government sees as excessive, while allowing the Court to set a lower percentage increase. Several other important awards have settled at 10 or 10.4 per cent since the drivers’ talks started in May. The drivers, employers and president of the Federation of Labour (Mr W. J. Knox) will make submissions to the Court. “Hands off," says Mr Rowling.—Page 3.