ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 10

ARBITRATION COURT.

THE DRIVERS* DISPUTE. (DI TELECHAI'H-SrECIAL COIIRESrONDBNT.) Palmerston North, March 26. _ The Arbitration Court commenced its sittings to-day. It was announced that the Drivers' Dispute- had been settled, and the agreement would bo presented in .Court to-morrow for conversion into an award. Appended is-tho agreement arrived at:— . Hour's of work to be 47£ per week, and time worked before 7 a.m. or,after 7 p.m., or beyond the weekly specified hours, to be paid fW at overtime rates; workers whose hours of labour are regulated under, the Shops and Offices Act to remain this; aerated water carters to work 4S hours per week during the winter mouths and 60 hours per week during the rest of the year. Wages of permanent hands to bo £2 3s. for drivers of ono horse, and £2 7s. per week for two horses (an increase of Is. over the old rates). Where wages are deducted for time lost through wet.or bad weather, or holidays, Is. 6d. extra per week to he paid in case of one-horso drivers, and 2s. in caso of two-horse drivers. Youths may bo employed as under the old award, with tho exception that in the case of bakers, grocers, and storekeepers provision is made for youths of 16 to 18 years to be employed at from 15s. to'2os. per week. Any baker, or butcher, or storekeeper, who is unable to find employment for a fully-paid driver, may employ ono youth, but otherwise the; proportion of youths is,-in the case of ordinary carriers, one to each firm, company, or employer employing ono man, and one to each four fully-employed drivers thereafter, and in tho case of storekeepers ono to each throe fully-paid men. A new preference clause has been inserted, which has recently been accepted by tho Arbitration Court. It is as■ follows:—"If an employer shall hereafter engage any worker who shall not bo a member of tho union, and who within ono calendar month of his engagement shall not become and remain a member of tho union, the employer shall dismiss such .Workor if requested to do so by tho union, provided there is then a member of the union equally qualified to perform tho particular work required to be done, and ready and willing to undertake tho same." Nino holidays are provided for during tho year, as 'usual in a drivers' award; ov'ertimo at tho rato of Is. 3d. per hour; board and lodgings may bo charged at 10s. per week. Exemption from, tho award, has been provided for in the caso of livery stable-kcopors, coach, 'bus, and cab proprietors, dairymen and wagoners. A new provision is, that if an employer employs an assistant occasionally as a horse driver tho work dono by such assistant shall not como within the 1 provisions of tho award if such assistant does not do all the necessary attendance on I horses. It is further provided that if a grocers' award is mado in any part of tho district covered by the drivers' award, grocers' drivers should bo provided for under such award. Tho dairy employees' dispute was before I the Court all day.*