BUS DRIVERS’ WAGES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 96, 19 January 1944, Page 4

BUS DRIVERS’ WAGES

While supporting the request of the railway bus drivers for double rates tor Sunday work, the executive council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, in a statement issued yesterday, explained that negotiations were actually proceeding with the authorities on the question when the bus drivers decided to cease work' last .Sunday. The statement was: — • "The executive council has always advocated the payment of double rates for Sunday work on the grounds that Sunday, the day of rest, should not be interfered with if'it was at all. possible to avoid it. In conformity with this recognized, policy, we have for years past endeavoured to prevail upon Governments and the Railways Department to pay double rates for Sunday duty to members of our road motor service branch-. “Because of this, and in order to keep Sunday work for our members down to the absolute minimum, we support the request of our bus drivers to be brought, into line with the rest of the service and allowed double pay for Sunday duty. “Asj however, the Passenger Transport Drivers’ Award, taken by the Railways Department as a basis on which the wages of our motor service branch members are determined, does not provide for double pay for Sunday duty, and as the added difficulty of stabilization regulations still exists, negotiations were still proceeding on behalf of our bus drivers when they decided not to work on Sundays till the question of double pay was settled. “While there may be differences of opinion with regnid to the method adopted by the bus drivers, it must be obvious that'the executive council cannot depart from its declared policy or repudiate the principle already established in this matter.”