THE DRIVERS' DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 122, 17 February 1919, Page 6

THE DRIVERS' DISPUTE

PARTIES AT CONCILIATION COUNCIL EMPLOYERS* LATEST OFFER By Telegraph-Press Association. ,', Auckland, February 15. •Efforts for the settlement of the drivers' dispute were continued in the Conciliation Council this i..ormng, when Mr. Pryor, on behalf of the employers, offered Is. lid. per hour for a 48 hours week, ,with Is. 3d. per hour for four hours' stablo time, and overtime rates for all work above these 52 hours, and, in tho case of two-horse men, 5G hours, Miv Pryor .made a definite statement that at these rates work would be permanent.

Mr. Davis asked whether this covered payment for lunch hour. Tho repiv was in tho negative. The parties then'separated to consider the position, 'and the council'adjourned for an hour.'

Mr, Davis said that the union assessors had considered the offer, and could not accept anything less than (he Is. 7d. they had asked for. There was this trouble about the hourly wage-that employ had a right to break into tho middle of the day. One and sevenpence was not a very large Mini for casual labour, and the union could ask nothing

The commissioner said the> had spent ft groat deal of time and were now apparently at a deadlock. If this' dispute were settled it was going to have a very great effect in decreasing present' industrial unrest. The union had first asked for .£3 -IDs. for a 48 hom-5 week, then we tried tho hourly rnte, and the .union asked Is. 7d. per hour and the employers offered Is. 4jd., with Is. 3d for stable time. The employers had very firmly laid it down tl.at it was wages for permanent time; and equivalent to 6s. per week. Taking into consideration the wages of the ovdinnrv labourer, and thinking that drivers had to look after valuable 'horses, and thus being at any rate a stage above the ordinarv la- ■ i Tj* l s "S ßest I'mt you employers should make the rate a weekly one of .£3 6s. for 4S hours 10s. for two-horse drivers), with payment of Is. 3d an hour overtime. He appealed to both parties to accept the suggestion and settle the dispute. The men had stood loyally by the agreement readied after Cabinet had interrupted the iast dispute, and they were untitled to consideration now. •

Mr. Pryor:_ Between the one-horse driver and Hie two-horse driver there has-always been a "difference of 4s. per week. Your suggestion would make tho rates paid to one-horse driver and two-horse-driver very disproportionate, and would give the twQ-'horse driver much more than we had thought. Mr. Otley complained about making different standards f<r two classes of mea. - It was the s«me. .he contended, as-paying two men differently for the same work. •

Mr. Pryor: Your suggestion of Os. for 48 hours,' Mr. Commissioner, seems to me to be the logical result of your definition of the living wage. The Commissioner: 'Jo whic'h you took no exception. ' . "I did not say anything ns the result of your suggestion," he continued. "You have put me in the tightest corner I havo ever been in in connection with industrial disputes." He said that the proposal of the commissioner demanded a Whole lot of earnest' consideration It. meant an increase of 13s. Gd. a week for the' one-horse, men and 13s. fid. for the two-horse men, and jt meant an additional yearly expense of anything . to .£IOO,OOO a year among all the euiployßh, of drivers in.tho Dominion. He thought he was within tl;# mark when saying that it would be a difficult question for them to-consider, aad (hov would have to. deal carefuliy n-ith the nuestic-n of passing the increase'on to the public; whether it would mean <lecreasecl business, and whether, the business wcf'.d decrease so far as to seriously, affect them financially. He explained that though a good percentage of the men would have permanent work, many of them would be "less permanent." There' was n good deal of lost time for all men. Regarding the hours he queried the 48 hours proposals, saying that the work of the drivers was different from other occupations. He hud to attend the horses. The real argument was over the 4-8-lionr principle, and tho discussion centred around about the 43' hours and the 52, or 56 hours. >

Mr. Parlano did rot believe the public would ■ object to a fair increase of cartage rates to meet a fair increase to the drivers.

~ Mr. D.ivis considered that the groomin? was practicable, and the employers decided that it was/not.

The council then adjourned for an hour.

ANOTHER OFFER ; ,' Auckland, February 16. the proceedings continued till a late houfon Saturday. Eventually Mr. Prycr said that tho employer* were prepared to offer a weekly wage of .S3 6s. to all classes of drivers for a 4S-hour week, and payment for stable attendance at Is. 4jd. ner hour for four hours per week for single-horse drivers and eight hours for two-horse drivers. If the offer were accepted the sjngle-horsc drivers - would receive £* lis. 6d. and the v two-hoi«e drivers £3 17s. No payment would be made for holidays.

■ Consideration, of the nronosa'ls was deferred till to-morrow (Monday).

THE AUCKLAND TRAMWAY TROUBLE By Tclcs»raph-Press Association. Auckland, February 15. the trams are still going ns *low if not slower.- It is understood this will continue until some terms are arranged •with the. company. Tt U remark*! that the general secretary of the Trans' port Workers' Federation is in' \uckland, and has been associated with the tramway men.