BUS DRIVERS' AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 12

BUS DRIVERS' AWARD

HOURS AND WAGES

MR. MONTEITH DISSENTS

I A Dominion omnibus drivers' award was filed on Monday, and will continue in force for twelve months. It provides for a 96-hour fortnight, with a maximum of 52 hours in any week, daily hours not to exceed ten, to be worked within a span of thirteen consecutive hours. Where shift work is performed, a day shall mean 24 consecutive hours, and not from midnight to midnight. Drivers are to be allowed 24 consecutive hours off duty each week, to be if practicable a calendar day, all drivers to receive as possible approximately the same number of periods off on Sundays. Drivers may not be booked off for less than an hour, nor more than twice during any day. Except in the case of contract vehicles, drivers shall 2tot be booked off for a period exceeding three hours, nor more than once a day at a place other than the booking-on place. The minimum wage is £4 12s 6d per week, learners £3 14s per week. Time worked over the prescribed fortnightly hours or in excess of 52 hours in any week shall'be paid for at the rate -of 2s 5d per hour for the first four hours, and 2s lid per hour thereafter, and. all time in excess of the prescribed daily hours shall be paid for at 2s lid per hour. In the case of contract vehicles, on trips not extending over more than one day, drivers shall be paid the actual working time, or half the total time of absence from headquarters, whichever is the greater.

The wages are the same for servicecar drivers, and the conditions similar.

Casual. drivers are provided for at 2s 4d per hour ordinary time, and 3s per hour for any time worked in excess of eleven hours a day.

The award contains preference and under-rate workers' clauses.

A note by Mr. Justice Page attached to the award says:—The main question referred to the Court was that of wages. With regard to the term of the award, the agreement arrived at in conciliation council made provision that the award should continue for a period of approximately twenty-one months but- that wages might be reviewed by the Court at the expiration of twelve months. In our view such a provision for the reviewing of the wages. during the currency of the award could not validly be made. As the parties desire that the question of wages should be able to be reviewed in twelve months, we have fixed the term of the award for that period. In a dissenting opinion attached, Mr. A. L. Monteith, referring to the Auckland drivers, says:—"l am not in agreement with the rate of wages awarded, which I think should be £4 17s 6d. The men under this award work on Sundays and on certain holidays at ordinary rates, and a large number of them work three-legged broken shifts. Omnibus drivers in Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin do the same work as these men, under much more favourable conditions. They have only twolegged broken shifts, and get, in some cases, extra money for broken shifts, extra money if called on to work on Sundays and on certain holidays, and a higher rate of overtime. Like these men they are on a weekly employment, and average forty-eight hours per week.

"The scale for the other centres is as follows:—

"Wellington.—£4 10s straight shifts; £4 12s broken shifts. Only two-legged broken shifts. Overtime is paid to both shifts for Sundays and certain holidays at time and a half rates.

"Christchurch.—"£4 10s straight shifts; £4 12s broken shifts. Only two-legged broken shifts. Overtime is paid to both shifts for Sundays and certain holidays at time and a half rates.

"Dunedin.—£4 18s all shifts, working only week-days. Overtime is paid for Sundays and certain holidays at time and a half rates; £5 6s if work done on Sundays, but no overtime is paid. Work done within forty-eight hour average week;

"Because of the conditions, viz., threelegged broken shifts, lower overtime, no extra payment for Sundays and certain holidays, I am of opinion that these men should be paid at least £4 17s 6d."