TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

Evening Star, Issue 15892, 26 August 1915, Page 6

TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

CITY- CORPORATION EMPLOYEES. CHRISTCHURCH WAGES OFFERED. 'Oho industrial dispute between the Otago Tramways’ Unioriof Workers and the Dunedin City Corporation was heard by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr J. R. Triggs) this morning. The' assessors were-:—For the corporation, Messrs G. W. Lewin and C. F. Alexander; for the union, Messrs J. E. Marshall, W. R. Homan, and J. Milne. On the point of wages, the men’s demands were as under, the table showing the demands in the first column, conditions under existing Dunedin award in the second, .and the conditions under the re-cently-made Christchurch award in the third : Motonnen—i Per Hour. s. d. s. d. s. d. Under one year’s service 1 21 1 0| 11 Over one and under two years’ service ...1 2% 1 11 11* Over two and uffder three years’ service 13i 1 1| 12 Over three -veers’ service ... 13-} 1 21 12* Conductors— Under one year’s service 11* 10 TO Over one year’s ser- ' vice ... *. 1 2i 1 0| 1 0* An increase of Is per day was asked for all ether classes of labor working under tin's agreement. Another'-clause demanded that motormen bo paid'■an extra 4*d per hour whilst training students; conductors an. extra 3d per hour whilst training students. Mr Marshall and Air Milne explained that since these demands had been sent along to the corporation the union had informed the other side that they were prepared to obviate all difficulties by accepting an all-round increase of 6d'per day per man, and make a complete settlement. Did the union understand that this was refused? Mr Lewin said it- was. The corporation bad offered to bring up to the Christchurch rate the wage of any man who was getting less, and not to interfere with the wag© of any who were getting more than the Christchurch rate, provided some minor alterations were mad*e in the agreement. The Commissioner said that if this dispute went to the. Court there was little doubt that the Court would give the Christchurch award, which was the most recent one.

Mr Milne said that the union .had been ready with their demands in 1914*, when they were certain to have got an increase. In view of the war they had withheld these demands until it was absolutely necessary to get them if they wanted to live. The increase of Is a day was vital to them in view of the position. Mr Lewin said that the corporation appreciated the fact that the men had behaved well. On the other hand, while one year ago the corporation could not have said how the war was going to affect them, to-day they had the figures to show how they had been affected. The Commissioner : Jhe employers are nob asking you to accept tower wages Mr Marshall elated that while Christchurch, prior to the last agreement; was the worst off in New Zealand, jud"e Stringer had now brought the Christchurch tram employees up to the level of every system in Yew Zealand, except on the question of wages.' The ' union held that if any man's wages should he increaesd at present it should be those of the lower-paid men. The Dunedin demands were moderate all-round compared With Christchurch's, . and the union felt that the Court would give them their demands. They could lose nothing anyhow —could get no less than Christchurch". The Commissioner: I do not think you have a chance of gett ing higher. The "assessors for the council represent the public, and 1 do not think you could expect them, as the representatives of the public, to agree to more titan Christchurch? Mr Marshall: Thev have given every concession fo the public, they tan give, and are making us pay for them. Mr Jesse Haymes (who appeared as the secretary of the Union) asked whether the Uty Council would give th? Christchurch wages and allow tin? rest of the agreement to'remain under present conditions? The Commissioner: I shall advise them to do FO. Mr Alexander said that the corporation had interpreted the award generously. For example, provision had not been made for time and a-half for the men employed in the car sheds on Sunday, but the corporation, recognising that" the intention uas that every mail: employed should paid that time and a-half, had paid it~ They had read into the award what was not in it. Mr Homan retorted that they had also read out of the award what did exist. A motorman training a conductor was to receive Is 6d a day extra. He had recei\ ed only 9d only working the four hours. Mi Alexander said this occurred simply in the interests of the conductors. If conductors were asked to put in their eight hours’ training on top of eight hours’ work, it would impose a hardship. The motorman was paid for the four hours on the basis of Is 6d a day extra. Mr Milne pointed out that the training before, th© award amounted to two hom-s or two hours forty minutes, and he contended that the Is 6d a day was given on a basis of that period. Mr Lewin said this was not correct Mr Alexander said he had the figures to show the council’s position. What they ( g l i their “natural increase” was £0.200 every two years. In the last period there was no increase, but a docrease of £2,010. Mr Marshall replied that they could show how the tramways were * paving, when, moreover, they were giving every possible concession to the public. Another delegate remarked that they were not paying conductors as much money as street sweepers. The Commissioner: -There is no bodv of men so well paid as th© tramway men in the Dominion, in consideration of the amount of training they have to undergo. You have no five years’ apprenticeship. | Mr Marshall: “ What about the Sunday work?” He considered that, while the employers’ ofler might give a- farthing increase to a few, it wotild take. £2O from others at on© blow. The union refused the Christchurch terms. The Commissioner said that the employers’ assessors had stated their willingness to accept all the conditions the men were working under, and give the Christchurch wages. Dunedin employers' were* always, he had found, prepared to pay th© highest ruling rat© inj the Dominion. Was it a fact that the Auckland rate was the highest? Mr Alexander said it was in some cases, but in others it was not. It was not a good thing for any service that there should be any reduced rate. Both sides agreed that any award should be made for the majority of the workers, and the Commissioner said-he agreed that the assessors for th© men would do wrong if they consented to any reduction •in the interests of the highest grades. He believed the right thing for the men to do was to accept the Christchurch rate for 12 months with the present Dunedin conditions. At the lunch adjournment the position was that the employers reiterated their offer of the Christchurch wage and Dunedin conditions, and in the meantime both sides were to go into the Auckland scale. Th© result; if any, may be found in our “Stop Press” column.