Award accord hailed as forward thinking'

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 8

Award accord hailed as forward thinking'

PA Wellington The transport Industry’s decision to split the national general drivers’ award — which has led to a 14 per cent pay rise for road carriers — was “courageous*,” according to the employers’ advocate, Ralph Gardiner. Speaking after the formal settlement of a new, national road carriers’ award, Mr Gardiner said dividing the traditional award into three industry sectors put the transport industry 12 months ahead of the manufacturing industry in terms of award restructuring and moves toward more industry-specific

bargaining. Manufacturing employers and the Engineers’ Union agreed on a 7 per cent wage increase for the traditional trendsetting metal trades award two-and-a-half months ago at the start of this year’s wage round, in exchange for a radical restructuring of the award in 12 months time. Talks on a national drivers’ ancillary award will get under way on Monday and negotiations on the contract drivers’ document, which broke down on Wednesday, are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. The ancillary award is not expected to contain

the same restructuring elements as the two other awards but is likely to be more of a holding measure until a detailed document can be negotiated next time,

The settlement gives several thousand truck drivers average increases of 8.6 per cent in wages and allowances plus an increase In their weekly industry allowance, taking it from $17.66 to $32.50.

The over-all increase tor the drivers is 14.4 per cent, or $309 gross weekly.

Mr Gardiner said carriers had had a rough time in these negotiations and might have settled a little higher than, they

could really afford. If this was so, then they would have to pay a price for it He emphasised that the settlement would have no effect on the two remaining documents to be negotiated. The union advocate, Jackson Smith, said the settlement would have an influence “but whether that influence would result In the same sort of settlement or more, is a matter for negotiation. ,, He expressed disappointment that the union was unable to achieve its initial objective, increasing the base award from $6.29 an hour to $8 to bring the minimum rate to $320 weekly.