TRAM EMPLOYEES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 311, 25 September 1908, Page 8

TRAM EMPLOYEES.

THE NEW RATE OF. WAGES. 'INCREASES CLAIMED TOTALLED - ' ; ' ? £7500. ; ■' ' AMOUNT AGREED' TO: £1283. The: agreement arrived at by the; Tramways Committee of the City Council and the Tramways Union'with respect to the.indus-. trial dispute affecting' city tramways employees;; was submitted for the approval of the City J Council last night.?;.. . . . The. main provisions of the agreement are ss follow:— , ••■■■ ■ WACES. The following shall bo the minimum rates of; wages'/.'payable.-.to'' the'several- classes :df employees:— Per hour. ■.. s. d. Motormen, first class 1 1J „ 1 sccond class ■ 1 1 Conductors, first class 1 0 , . „ ..second class - .1: 0 „ , . third class 0 111 : I Car equipment, adjusters ... 1/1 to 1 if - .Car."'.equipment ? adjusters''?(con- ' stroller' cleaners) 1 1 Linesmen 13 Powerhouse leading'firemen,,..;... 1 3 • Powerhouse firemen; 1 2 • Powerhouse' greasers 1 2 Powerhouse handymenl 2 : Six.'permanent-way', repairers,"l ! 11 ■ Other permanent-way repairers 1 0 General labourers 1 o<, Coachworkers'^.../..14 Plumbers 1 4': Electricians (fitters) .11. 6 Electricians (wiremen) 1 4 Fitters. .................. 1 41 . Turners ....; .: 1 41 Engin'esmith's •'.......v.'"...........i- 1 41 f . Engiiiesmiths'•strikers .1.1 . ■ Pitmen 1, .1.- - Fitters' labourers 1 .0 Car'cleaners 10 Powerhouse, trimmers 1 0 Trackmen 1 01 Emergency linesmen ;.v £3 ss. per week 1 • ' . 'of seven days. Pointsmen ............... £2 15s. per week : ••?"?'' of' seven days, v Electricians, .'fitters,.-turners,' and engineimiths employed on night shift .to he paid' iho ordinary. daily rate of.pay, and in addition to be: paid Is. 6d. for each , shift" so worked.. v.'.This shall-not apply, to.employee's on regular night shift .duty. ? ' , - . ... Smiths'; .strikers' and fitters'' labourers, tmployed on night .'shift'to be paid the ordinary daily rate, of pay, and in addition to bo paid Is. for each shift' so worked. ? This; , . shall not. apply' to employee's on regular night?shift duty. ; ;?: " Firemen, j greasers, handymen, "etc., when smployed ■at cleaning' boilers .■ or; flues at?;thp, • powerhouse, to bo paid 2d.-per' hour over and above the . ordinary rates of payment as; . "dart" money. r ■HOURS OF WORK.

The following shall, be :the hours, of work on each of the sis working days of .the" week. Motormen-and Conductors.—The .hours of • work for motormen and conductors .shall-he eight hours per", day, , but the , employer\shall have the right to call; upon-any of those' mon to . work for one hour more,- paying -for : the time-so worked at ordinary rates.- : • Car Equipment ■'Adjusters.—Eight. hours per night. , Linesmen.—Eight' arid three quarter (8?) hours on five days and four and' a quarter (4i) hours on Saturday. '...- I.;;:-'-Powerrhouse, Firemen, Greasers, and Trim- ■ mors—Shifts of eight hours each:'. >\ 'j .. ' Power - house Handymen.—Forty - eighthours per week, and not'exceeding eight and ■ three-quarter (8|)-. hours per. day. ' '\ : Permanent - way, . /Repairers, t— Forty - six (46) hoursi forty-five. (45) minutes. On'five days eight and a half OBJ) hours per day, and on. Saturdays four'.and' a quarter (4}) hours.}|" t - •*' K- r ■ ■'" ■''? Artisans (meaning Coachworkers, Pluhi-' bers, Electricians, Fitters, Turners, and En-gine-smiths).—Eight: and three-quarter' (8}) ,hours per day on five days, and four; and a quarter (4J) .hours on Saturday.' Time of commencement '7.45 aim. each day. - : Engine-smith'"Strikers, Pitmen, and'fitters' Labourer's.—Eight and three-quarter-(B§) hours pfer'day on • five days,' and four and a quarter (4J) hours on Saturday. Time of. commencement 7.45 a.m. each day. This shall not apply to pitmen working "on shift duty. : : ' - : General Labourers.—To work f the same, number of hours as artisans.; Car Gleaners.—-Eight (8) hours per night;; Emergency'Linesmen.—An average; of-fifty-eight (58); hour's per week of seven days. Pointsmen.—Fifty-two (52) hours per week - ' of seven days. .< Trackmen.—Forty-five (45) hours per week ' of six days. .- -• ' - , All- - .Other ..' Employees.—Forty-eight (48) hours per.week of six days, and not exceed- : ing eight , and three-quarter (8f), hours per day. ;> Employees, not on. shift, duty to'.receive-the • Saturday , half-holiday, when practicable. , POWERHOUSE WORK. ,: v ' . Working shifts- at the powerhouse shalL - b?'changed on Sunday in each week. ■ A}l i; ; . fire-cleaning at the powerhouse shall-be'done when - practicable' by - the trimmer on-.: the. • night 'shift. There shall be one trimmer ;for the 8 to 4 and 4 to 12 shifts,, who shall .• do all. the scouring arid. cleaning in; the: stokehold. "Firemen to;take orders'from-the chief, second, or engineer-in-charge of shift / only.. Firemen on shift: shall give all their time attending to steam and water "and the stokehold machinery. ' - holldays.

' Car equipment adjusters and cleaners shall - work statutory holidays and public holidays, and shall receive a holiday of ten consecu[tive working days - in each ' year on full ..' ordinary pay. ; , . . . ' Artisan's shall bo entitled to ordinary time . , for all statutory holidays, and'in addition * ordinary overtime ; for . all time -worked on such holidays! Artisans shall receive not less than twenty-four hours' notice of a holiday. All other employees shall' work on public and statutory holidays, and instead of such holidays shall be entitled to eight.consecutive days in each year as a holiday, • such holiday to be paid for at full ordinary rates. Except; as' previously provided-not less than three clear days!; notice ■ shall be given . to the employee to go on holiday leave, and •, such holiday sbair be given to the powerhouse'employees on night shift week. • - • REPORTS. - ■ 1 Any.empioy.ee reported by. the public, shall receive'notification of any charge involving dismissal, suspension, : or loss of standing within forty eight hours,'and' the inquiry shall bo commenced 'within-forty-eight' hours after the employee is notified, Sundays and holidays excluded 'in the computation of time. All departmental reports to be in within' two days from the dafe'of the alleged.'offonce.'and the employee concerned snail'be notified within forty-eight hours, and the inquiry commenced within four 'days after receipt of tho report, Sundays and holidays excluded in.the computation of'time. TOOLS, CLOTHING, ETC. • < The, employer shall provide the ; undermentioned tools, clothing-,..etc., free of- cost;— Motormen and conductors: Uniform, caps, cap covers, and .overcoats. Pointsmen:, Uniform overcoat, .caps,- cap,. r covers,, oilskin coat and leggings, arid also provide a box to keep clothing in.. Emergency .linesmen: Oilskins,, soil-westers, ' and , leggings.. Car oloaners: Clogs or gum .boots. Car. equipment adjusters, fitters, turners, electricians, and', engine smiths : "To be supplied with files, hammers, .spanners,, soldering irons, /metal '■ drills, tongs, and'oold chisels. ' . , PROMOTIONS. i All promotions of" employees affected by this agreement'shall be made from the employees at the time of the vacancy occuxi ring. In all cases, seniority, suitability, and ' capability and record to be taken into con--1 sideration. . ....... . .. < '■ . Provided that if any trimmer' is capable of ! filling the position of fireman, promotion

shall bo made from the ranks of the trimmors in tho employ of,tho Corporation.. UNIONISTS. If any employee joining tho service shall neglect to become a' ; member of tho union in the time specified, or shall resign from tho union and not rejoin within a week, ho shall bo dismissed! ?." . ':? APPEAL BOARD. An Appeal Board,' consisting of the Tramways Committee, 'shall be appointed. In the ovont tof .any . disagreement between tlie Corporation' and. tho.. union concerning the suspension ,qr?dismissal of any employee; it iffiay be referred to the . board by either party, ' and-'-the board; .after hearing evidence, -shall finally ''-determine the matter? ? ON THE AGREEMENT. '• Tho Mayor moved-that the report embracing the agreement bo adopted. Councillor Hiiidmar'sh commented on the delay in settling, the matter. The time taken .was fifteen .'months',;'and. the committee had. 'gone - :.very "exhaustively- into 'it;'. Councillor Cohen moved the adjournment of the consideration,until .they-had time to assimilate the report. • : .Councillor Smith said that as the committee had been so long at tho matter, the best thing to do was to adopt the report. Tho council would have to pass it or sot up a fresh committee,"and'-he did not, think that any_ committee would .go into the matter again. ;' . • .' ; ; Councillor Luke congratulated the committee on bringing up'such a fair report. He did not .see how anyone else could go into tho question. ' ?? ?'• '.. 1 , Councillor Biss'suggested that if the discussion Tyas'adjourned until next meeting tho wages be made retrospective. Councillor Hindmarsh: This is a matter of comprpmise .jvith tlie men, and I do not see how tho council' can alter it.

Councillor Fletcher: I think that the committee dealt .with the subject very fairly, although some of theitems could perhaps have been extended,a,good r deal. Still, we had to compromise, and the.result' is fair to the" city and to' the :men. The Jatter'should be satisfied. '?,??' ('.???!? ' ' ■ Councillor, Fisher,,^remarked that the report was full of .technicalities, and if the council passed'theßeport it'did so' basing its entire confidence in the committee. If the question was reoperied, 1 it would mean that the settlement would he delayed indefinitely. ' The speaker remarked on the fact that the council controlled such an. important undertaking as the .tramways?' and ' jret the councillor! knew ve"ry|'little? about ■ it. 'He supposed it iwas unavoidable unless they , reverted : to tho bU 'There' was ..nothing to be gained by delay. ' t Replying to: a-question the Mayor stated 'that 'the''tbtal'increase* proposed was'£l2B3 19s. A?;?'-;., •..• v. ! Councillor Ballinger said that it was time that this long drawn out dispute was settled. At present" the yearly wages account for tramway employees'was £5150 more than would be paid.,.uhder r , the Auckland award rates, and £5322 more thin undef the Dunedin ,awai;d,rates. r Yet .the union was asking for increases?which .totalled £7500 based on the number;.of?:t%.pre~sept staff. ? With, eighty cars in .traffic,, .and ; a'Corresponding increase in the'number of. men, the'employees would receive,. £560.0, more'in. wages per annum than if paid under, the Auckland award rates, and £6300..m0re thaii it paid' under the Dunedin award rates. The', .union demands meant an increase ,of nearly-£9OOO over and above in one case £14,600 ! and in the,other.case £15,300 more than paid in the abo.ye places! ;,„Ygt fthey ;got £1283., As Mr.. Richardson, electrical engineer,' would be' absent; from' next;, meeting, the matter should?be. dealt with/now. •'

The' Mayor said that he did riot understand members -saying;.they, might be ignorant of anything; done, for if.anything was laid baro it •was the tramways, to.-which there was constant reference,,-,, The' whole thing had been' discussed in the preps, and those who followed it knew' as much'jprobably as the • committee. on the:leading,principles of the agreement. The council; could take its share of the "responsibility. for. the; agreement; The.'proposed adjournment' was negatived and the recommendation adopted.