TRAMWAYS AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 95, 19 October 1938, Page 16

TRAMWAYS AWARD

CONFERENCE TODAY

POINTS RAISED BY MEN i

The Wellington tramwaymen are dissatisfied with the award issued by the Second Court of Arbitration on Saturday, and today met the tramways committee of the Wellington City Council to put forward their reasons. All city councillors were invited to attend the meeting, which was held at midday. The Press was not admitted. ! The reasons why the question of the award is being taken up with the City! Council, it is stated on behalf of the men, are that no increases in pay have been received since 1920; that they are the lowest paid of any tramway employees in the Dominion, though the Wellington tramway service is the only one in the country which is paying; and their dissatisfaction at the falure of the/Court to award retrospective pay. The workers' representative on the Court (Mr. A. W. Croskery) dissented from the award, holding the view that pay should be retrospective to February 17. 1938, Mr. Crcskery pointed out that the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) had stated, at, a meeting of the City Council, when the matter was discussed, that he did not think there would be any objection to retrospective pay. The Court, however, declined to make the new wages rates retrospective, expressing the opinion that the position should be discussed by the parties. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. The Deputy Mayor, Mr. M. F. Luckie, who presided in the absence of the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), said at the close of the meeting that the union's representatives had been heard, and their representations would be considered at the meeting of the tramways committee next week.