TAXI-DRIVERS' HOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 98, 22 October 1938, Page 11

TAXI-DRIVERS' HOURS

MEN ON COMMISSION

Comment on remarks made by Mr. Justice Reed at Palmerston North on Thursday on the length of time a taxidriver who had been involved in an accident had been at the wheel, and on a statement made by the driver, was made by Mr. A.; Parlane, secretary of the Drivers' Union, to a "Post" reporter today. The Judge had said that it was a shameful thing to expect a man to. drive for seventeen hours and have his wits about him. The driver, who had been accused, of negligent driving, had said he was not compelled to work so long, but the position was that all the drivers worked the day shift and took it in turns to work, tha night shift: He was paid on a commission basis. Taxi-drivers, he said, had no union.

"We agree with the remarks of the Judge in reference to the long hours taxi-drivers have to work," Mr. Pariane said. "The statement made by the driver that there is no union, however, is hardly correct." The taxidrivers .had been covered by the New Zealand Passenger Transport Drivers" award madeMn 1926, Mr. Parlane said, but it had been cancelled through the operation of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act in 1932.

A number of taxi proprietors some years ago introduced a system of paying'their men on a commission basis. For the men on commission the law of m^n and servant did not apply and they were outside the scope of the Act. After the Labour Government went into power a meeting of taxidrivers had been held at Wellington in order to discuss the question of obtaining an award. It was pointed out to them that with the law as it existed a the time it would be futile endeavouring to get an award. It was decided to put the matter before the Government and ask for the necessary legislation. A deputation waited on the Minister of Transport on June 11,1936, and put the matter before him and further asked that he should set up a Commission to inquire into the conditions under which taxi-drivers were employed. The Commission had been appointed and had brought down its report in 1937, recommending legislation similar to that asked for by the Drivers' Union, but up to the present the legislation had not been enacted. This was probably due to the pressure of the business the Government had had to deal with. "We understand," Mr. Parlane saxd, "that the legislation has been prepared and will be passed during the next sessin of Parliament. The New. Zealand Drivers' Federation has everything in readiness for the preparation of an award directly the . legislation is passed." .