MAYOR'S SUMMING UP

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 130, 29 November 1945, Page 8

MAYOR'S SUMMING UP

TWO MATTERS IN DISPUTE

"The public will note that the ultimatum delivered by the Tramways Union deals with two matters," said the Mayor (Mr. Appleton) today. "The first is the continuation of the payment of the war loading bonus, and the second is a request for special free transport to those living in the Miramar and Strathmore Park areas.

"It has been pointed out that in taking the action it did over the war loading bonus the Tramways Department acted in what it believed to be in .accordance with the direction of the Arbitration Court. It appears that the Department of Labour holds a different opinion and will, in due course, proceed against the Tramways Department for a breach of the award. There is nothing unusual in this procedure—differences of opinion as to the meaning of parts of an award occur quite frequently. The essence, however, of every award is that the work of the employer should not be impeded by disputes. Provision is made in the law of the land for settling differences of opinion by conciliation and arbitration. PASSENGER LOADING AND BONUS. "When the war loading bonus was granted the Tramways Department was carrying more passengers than ever before. It had just concluded its biggest year. The wages of the tramwaymen had been pegged by stabilisation legislation, and the rate in 1944 was similar to the rate in 1943. The granting of the war loading bonus was by way of recognition of the large numbers carried by a reduced staff in 1944, the year of the department's heaviest loading. Since that peak was reached there has been a steady decline in passengers carried, a gradual increase in the numbers available to handle them, and a decided increase in the wages bill. '■A considerable reduction in passengers carried has been ricorded since the peak was reached in the year ending March 31, 1944, and the staff to handle them has increased, so that the average number of passengers handled is now appreciably less than it. was in 1943-44. These facts are pertinent to the question of whether the war loading bonus should continue, although the Court's opinion is that the bonus would cease on October 1, whether the loading was heavy or light. "With regard to early morning transport, it will be of interest to the public to know that the council offered to the union, without cost, the use of the department's buses to provide the service on condition that the union would find voluntarily from amongst its members the personnel to drive. This offer was rejected by the union, who contended that the department should roster the drivers for the work. There are objections to this from the council's point of view, particularly at present, because it would reduce the availability of those now engaged in passenger" transport. WRONG COURSE TAKEN. "The attitude of the union appears to be that, if it cannot get what it wants at once it will strike and thus ignore all legitimate channels in such cases for the settlement of a dispute," said Mr. Appleton. "I have already pointed out that if the money claimed is, in fact, due to the" members of the union, they are bound in due course to receive it. The early morning transport is a different matter altogether: no mention of it is made in the existing award, and I invite the public to contemplate what the position would be if any men bound by the terms of an award could exact from their employer a privilege or concession which had never even been before a conciliation council. Tramway employees already have free transport when in uniform and have recently been granted an annual tramway pass for ids for use at all other times. "Neither the council nor.the officers of the Tramways Department derive any pleasure from interference with what is generally considered to be an excellent public service, but when disnutes or differences of opinion arise the council's preference is for settlement along constitutional lines and not by force. ' "I invite the tramway employees to ndopt the same method and thus by the exercise of a little patience save themselves from unnecessary loss of wages and Ihe public from irritation and waste of time."