DRIVERS' UNION DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 2

DRIVERS' UNION DISPUTE.

ATTITUDE OF THE EMPLOYERS,

CONCILIATION BOARD 'IGNORED

THE; CHAIRMAN'S VIEWS.'v;-

A meeting of the' Conciliation Board was held yesterday to consider matters in dispute between the Wellington Drivers', lndustriar'"Diifon:'bf 'Workers' and .'the'''employers. Present: Mr. P. J. O'Regan (Chairman), Messrs. H. lnncs a.nd F. Bedford (employers', f: representatives), . and Messrs. A. H. A. Collins' (workers' represontatives). i--;!:-Messrs. D. 131ackie and A. Parlano appeared for the Drivers' Union. Tho employers Were not represented. Mr.-:<Blaclvio statc-d that,., since,the,-.Court last met, a conference;'between the partiea had taken place; but hadbeen' arrived at. He asked the Board to inquire, into the Union's clamis and make a rebemmendalion. "' " ' " ' r 7 The, phairman.' l (Mr.-,,o'Re'gani'said,lp\rti-■ grbtt.ed;.,tliat; the conference ~of. ;i thp ;. partiea had proved abortive. The absence of the employers wa'3I,'1,' it' seemed'to 1 him, in furtlierance' of 'a' settled - policy,' not' only^to"bring discredit' upon® the. Board j'\but also .as' a pn> iiest' against ruliilg''given^'some. , ;time'''ag6 i by !ilr.';'Justice. Siiii' in ,th'e.'.Arbitration':Court. .iii.thd Ma'riawatu!!flax, millers',case^that.''the rarty^fu'^^ib.ok^aV<ca^i.to a - < "should • uei put : in the,;, position or plaintiffs. ; It had come-ito; his knowledge: immediately' after that' • ruling ;■ was i-given; l that intended' ; tb-'takp no part-whatever • in" casea before,'the Board; their.'obiect , 'beihg'tb';cyst'i if ' possible, tlio .on lis, of'' taldng\caSes,. to" Court; in ' the; unibnsl 1 "J. At of'tlie Board' in Mr. Grenfell, the employers' representative;' had suggested that 'the' IJoard; should repprt to the Courtr.tliat 'itiiliad 'hp rccKmmendation to make —a policy which, he said, had been adopted by_..thc...D.unedin Board for. years' 1 past. M Questibiied ' whetlier ha jyished-ithe.-ißoard 'to 'mukevsuch •"a report, Grenfell had'frankly'admitted; that: tho >ismployers ffbm.;the obligation, imposed "by. Mr.^Justice;; Sim's .ruling of beginning the-ease when; it reached the, Court. Ho (the Chairman)-could : only say that, tliat.-.rwas.-.a .cool 're'quest'r.toA-tha Board;;-,to. r make ;l :a profession;of! incompetency, ..and the - \yould,,,not,!comply • with,, it.Tlio n present position i.jrasso .•..nil'! satisfactpry.that.'the sopnor.it ; ,\yas.ended.-th# better.; -Ho .would-- also he liadjjleyer seen-so .inuclu.uninformed criticism on. ,anypublic''body-,as ' there, had .been ■ in the Press on; , the,.Cpnciliatipiv,Bpard. l ;,lt had-.bcea-stated, time'|':and : again.that,,the r ßoard was a-l,proiibunced '.failure, t-liet fact .was that,'it, liiid never.' trial )r .beeausa c ; it'.was'-witliin:'.;t.he province... of a ..single dis?,- ! satisfied'employer to'.re'fei : a.'reconimendatioii jmade by the Board to the',;Arbitratipn ; Supposing that every litigant- ! 111. the ; • lio' 1 [ expense'' to'' Kirii'sblf^'J to appealto ' Supreme 'Court,. whafc wiuld, be tlio result !^o' ,r jpd^.y ; o'^4"'bo;-'(lndble v !to. ; tho work,; ; aiid' \ye. should'probably; be'.told! ;that','Magistrates'; w;ere .; Tliei' ',weak spot, iii" the Act-pand -the ojie which ,had"''.; been ' responsiblo '-for' ' tho ' butchers', strike—was '' scction 59, which' "placed it iilj thb' I pbw' , er'';pf ;biib man to I ,,take "a : ; 'case to, ,th'e l! Arbitration.' Court.' He w'as Afraid' that inothing- would be done .tins, scssioil.' , ;.As ! the' jlajr : stoodj'Hhe ''Board v,^kW''to ,J 'dsi-* tha ' inipbs'sible;—to sccute 'absblu'ce 'unanimity' 'iiV favour ofite 'recommendationr'; • Without--that",' all th'eii-' labours were '.iii!.' vain," and' .'th'e' : r-bsult was that tho".Arbitration,;'Cours' over-loaded with' work;'and there'was,, natu'r-;. ally,','great ■ discontent" at the"' deiaysv ' Two courses ß were-open to ,thb' ; Boa_rd ; ' on-'that ocbafeibh'^tli6j'-' r bbtild'4 1 witl r nessbs'y in,' , -\rKicK<'dVen't~<th%^%lbyws. , eoulds bo co'mpellcfl jt^/'h'ttbrt^,■ (sr. "tliey^ 1 "Could*' filei 1 the"claimsi of, the Uiiibin : as 'their.'rccbmmoiii.'.; datioii;-.seeing^tliat; the' employers -liSd to .allows'tlio-proceedings sto-igo l by jho-jßpard--n:9ulcl,,; ( adjourn for ten minutes • to consider the matt'er.,. . ' '

•i Mr. Innis (one of represen-tatives)-said that' the employers, who were not > organised like - the : Union,y. preferred-.to go ~direct- jt-orthe...Court,. as ■ { .Saving oftlieir. .timcwas thu? .<;lfcctcd,; arid a5,;.,-.in . ; their,,;opinion v .the; dacisipns of ;; the, .B'oiurf}' bad jftwu those H/.'i' '• ,«W •: .Mr. Collins i (one of, tho wqrkers'rreprpscnta-.r iiTOs) said;.*that.many of. the.reconnnondatiqns,, of "the,-Board Had.; proved;,acceptable to,-jhoth ,- parties, "and that others, had-jidt-.bcen parted ...from, to. any extent, .by tbc : Court.); Ho..failed, to.Vsca- that,'.- any • recomnicnHatio,d| ; made,by^the ; Board. had been, .outrageous, .i-, ,; W ; f.i.TJpoii" resuming, the.,. Chairman intimated;; that r .,uride£.;the.. : the/Boar,l-j iu. its.'recommendation. is the,,case',wqul;l •>. gd-'iVl^CoWtt^itV^^ of.'.tinip .toJicaf.tlje.evidence-'pf tlie .witnesses,, Wo Hacl'.cp.iho forward,bri.behalf, of th'o ; Mr.' Blaokie said;he/.felt;.cer.|tai^..that ) ,,.|f, ( the Board had heard'the case for'tho Union, the result would havo. b.een.tho same. .;i. - The Chairman pointed out'that tho other . side had practically allowed the caso to go by default. •• Ho; \yould avail'.himself that opportunity to. refute' mi ..insinuation which had been made to/the-cffect l tliat-the Board aiways".cndeayourcd;::to prolong! proceedings, in' case's before ,;it.- > ; As a..matter of fact,-.;tho.v; • mombcrsrijof the .-Board., favoured getting-^ ■ parties ,into conference.v.- ■ 1 Mr, Innis'-said-.that, as I far. as he knew,-.-rid-,' reflection jiacl been cast oii.;the/Board,rand,i." ■ consequently, there- was nothing, to defend. V-.r. ; She Board,then adjourned.-U'i'iv

1 The claims of"thfl'Union,-.which have been'' filed ■as. tho /Board srecqmmondauoiv-cmbody"' the 'following"- points-:—Hours.—Forty-seven':'' 'hours, exclusiye-bf.-.thc time 'required for 'the necessary, ••attehdSnce to'horses, shall: eonsti- r -' tute-iatweek'siiwork. . I'ho- said -tinio• lh. l -■ < i . elude .••thoi time'i properly . inr'going L'from' audi', returning <;to : the .-stable's: .vTho':> 'working-hours 11 shall'be > regulated by-theom- c plover,■ 'according to;: the. requirements, 'of :'his:»3 business,-! i but.: provision:; ; shall bo hmiulo i;fori' P ,#ork?tovcease at- 12.16'p.m.,i0n onerday in>» .'oach' weelyiand notice .of. such - regulationm shall be. fiXcd, or posted , in'some -conspicuous ; ■placo in tho stable or,-yard by the employer.',i Bevon days' notice, of i any, alteratiom in such ;; regulation, shall,lie given-,'by the employer. time-book.shall .be provided by tho employer, iii ; which each .driver- shall-enter dailyhis h -> ifime. of starting and;linishing work; also any-) tim<! taken by . him for, ; meals. .-Wages.—/file.-.-, minimum-weekly- wage tor-competent drivers - shall be: For driving, and-attending 'a: single!,>l horso,. £2.-10s.; for driving and attending:two s- - horses, £2 145.; .for each additional; horse, 4s. f !per .week, extra. !No deduction-shall bo madft.-j, •from siichjwoekl.y Wages-tor bad weather or- :> holidays,: or : for, other, cause.ithan-.:.for- .time,-., lost. tlirough! ; thc-employees!,,default*, -