DRIVERS' DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 38, 15 February 1919, Page 9

DRIVERS' DISPUTE

BEFORE CONCILIATION COUNCIL

A NEW SUGGESTION.

(BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 14th February

The matter of wages and conditions of drivers, now before the Conciliation Court, is being considered as a Dominion dispute. Although the dispute had in the first instance been filed.by employers in the Auckland district only, representatives of both employers . and | employees from all parts of the Dominion were present. The Commissioner pointed out that a great responsibility rested on the delegates, and urgedl the necessity of calm and considerate discussion of the points at issue. ' . It was mutually decided that the dispute ehould be dealt with in open council. For the employers, Mr, Pryor said that there had been two conferences, and that contentious points had been narrowed down to the questions of wages and hours. As a basis for the discussion the employers had filed the old award, which provided for a weekly wage of £2 12s to one-horse drivers, with the addition of a war bonus of 6s per week, fixed by Cabinet. This meant that one-horse drivers would receive a wage of £2 18s a week, including stable attendance. During the last conference several offers and counter-offers were made. It might now shorten the present proceedings if the .representatives of the men would; make the employers an offer. , Mr. Davis, one of the assessors for the men, said there was no possible chance of settling the dispute, unless it was considered from the standpoint of a 48----hour week. The wages to be paid could 'then be considered. '■ Mr. Hunter, another assessor for the men, said that the Drivers' -Federation i proposed that the wage for one-horse drivers should be £3 10s per week of 48 hours. Mr. Davis said the drivers did riot mind doing stable work providing that it could be performed within the 48 hours. The .drivers wanted a living wage. . . : The Commissioner defined a living wage. ' Mr. Hunter said that in fixing the wages of drivers it should be borne in mind that the rate of wages in the days immediately before the war was £2 8s per week of 56 hours, spread over seven days of the week. The demand of £3 10s for a week of 48 hours was. very reasonable, considering the cost of living, including house rent. The demand for £3 10s per week was extremely moderate; in fact,' it wag no more than a living wage. If the employers considered £3 10s per week too much, what, then, did they consider a living wage 1 The men required a new preference clause. They had one to propose which would make for better organisation, and would not cost employers an extra penny. Mr. Pryor said that if employers acceded to the demands of the men' and gave the increased wage, the whole industrial situation in the Dominion would be upset, arid the last condition of the men would be worse than the first. It was all very well'l to talk about passing increases on, but that could not be done in the carrying business as easily as people imagined. Every increase of rates meant less business. He emphasised that any increase in wages must be passed on to the general public., .If theJ>rpBent wage of the driver was*not sufficient,' then other avenues of employment were open. Mr. Hunter isaid that the men were unable to reduce the demands. A wage of £3 10s for a week of 48 hours was the irreducible minimum. If no settlement was reached at the present conference he could give no guarantee as to what would take place in the future. This was not a threat.

Mr. Pryor said that he could not believe' that Mr. Hunter was in earnest. It appeared that the men's asseseors were deliberately attempting to force the country into industrial turmoil on, the drivers' dispute. ■Mr. . Davis said he and his colleagues were sincere in a desire to effect a settlement.

Mr. Hunter'said that the employers were apparently endeavouring to throw the responsibility for not reaching a settlement on the men.

Mr. Roberts, secretary of the Transport Workers' Federation, said that it was not the correct thing for Mr. Pryor to make statements without justification or proof. The Transport Workers' Federation had nothing to do with the drivers' dispute. The Drivers' Federation had a free hand to do what.was best in the interests of its organisation, aiid any agreement arrived at would ; be accepted by the Transport Federation.' The Commissioners .asked if the assessors were prepared to consider the dispute on an hourly rate of wages. * After an adjournment Mr. Davis said that the drivers, were prepared to consider employment at ,an hourly rate of Is 7d.

It was then decided to adjourn to enable both sides to consider the new suggestion.