FIREMEN'S AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 145, 22 June 1938, Page 8

FIREMEN'S AWARD

HOLIDAY AND WAGES CLAIMS

CONFERENCE ARRANGED

Superintendents of fire brigades arc meeting today and representatives of fire boards of the four main centres will meet tomorrow to consider claims for an award which have been served upon the fire boards of Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Auckland by the New Zealand Federated Fire Brigades' Employees' Industrial Association of Workers. _ , The claims applying to wages read: The minimum rate of wages to be paid shall be as follows:—Watchroom attendant, first three months, £2 10s a week, from three to nine months £2 15s, from nine to twenty-one months' service £3, over twenty-one months £3 10s, after adult age is reached £4 2s 6d; probationers, £4 2s 6d a week; third-class brigadesmen, £4 7s 6d; sec-ond-class brigadesmen, £4 12s 6d; firstclass brigadesmen, £5 ss; foremen, £6; station officer, £6 ss; district officer, £7 ss; mechanic, £5 17s 6d; cook, I award rates as in licensed hotels. I One clause asks that firemen-driv-ers shall be paid 10s a week in addition to the wage to which they are entitled as firemen. In stations where there is no cook it is desired that men shall be paid 5s a week extra. For married men who are not provided with quarters a house allowance of £1 10s a week is sought. Clause 6 reads; Each worker shall be allowed leave of absence without deduction of pay as follows:—24 hours' continuous leave commencing at'B.3o a.m. every third day, provided that in cases where an emergency prevents such leave being given, such leave shall be made up to the worker subsequently. Clause 8 deals with extended leave as follows:—Each worker, within six months' continuous service, shall be granted holidays without deduction of pay as ■ follows:—Twenty-eight consecutive days (inclusive of Sundays); such leave shall be given and taken at a time to be determined by the superintendent. A roster indicating the day and time when leave commences shall be posted on the notice board. The existing system of leavetaking In each centre shall continue. Payment of wages' covering the holiday period shall be made prior to the worker going on leave. Long service leave is referred to in clause 9, which states:, Firemen shall on the completion of ten years' service be entitled to and shall receive leave of absence on full pay for three calendar months, in addition to the annual leave; thereafter for each further,, completed period of five years' service they shall, in addition to the ordinary-annual leave, be entitled to six weeks' long-service leave. For the purposes of this clause service of all firemennow in the employ of the boards shall be computed from the time of entering the service. Leave

due under this clause shall be given at the convenience of the board, but within one year ol its having become due. Clause 11 asks that a superannuation scheme be entered into between the employees and the boards on a contributory basis and that swimming pools be established for the use of the employees at central fire stations and arrangements made for firemen in outstations to visit public swimming baths where possible.