CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 16032, 8 February 1916, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

CABLE TRAMWAYS DISPUTE. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr J. B. Triggs) sat this morning to hear the dispute between, tho Otago Tramways Industrial Union of Workers and the Dunedin. City Corporation (as owners of the Mornington tramways), the Dunedin and Roslyn Tramway Company, and tho Dunedin and Kaikorai Tramway Company. Tho representatives oi the parties were: For the employers—Messrs A. S. Cookson, A. F. Knowles, and J. Hunter; for the men—Messrs J. E. Marshall, J. Mill, and W. Hobbs. The new scale of wa.grs demanded was as under (the scale existing being given in parentheses):—Motor men and gripmen (with no previous experience), Is 2d (16 Ijd); after six months' experience. Is 2Jd (Is 2id); conductors (no experience), Is lid (Is 0^d); car repairers (foremen, excepted), Is 2|d (Is 2-id) ; linemen and greasers, Is lid (Is OJd); assistant car repairers and assistant linemen, Is Mr Cookson said tlie companies concerned were of opinion that the present rate of wages was fair and reasonable. It was admitted that there had been an increase in the cost of living, but there had also been a great increase in tho cost of running the trams, material having gono Tip from 50 to 75 per cent.

Mr Marshall said the demands were based on the latest awards; and' if these lines were not paying, why ask the workers to bear the burden? It was not for him to say whether or not fares should be raised, but' the companies had given concessions—such as return fares and carriage of luggage—which they had. the right to revoke. The simple fact remained that the wages of conductors were not equal to those of a man working on the street—about £2 lis a week.

Jlr Knowles said this was not so. They earned from £l6O to £l9O a Year.

Mr Marshall replied that this was with overtime in. Ho was calculating on an eight-hour day. The Commissioner said the average working man worked 44 hours a week, and it was on that basis that they must consider the reasonableness of the demands. He thought the men's demands reasonable. They were giving four hours in hours for the week).

Mr Marshall: And six hours on top of that (the companies have the right to work their men nine hours a day without overtime).

A comparison being instituted between the bill trams and the City trams, Mr Hunter pointed out that if thero was any slackening of returns affecting tho position of the City trams the corporation could take from the water, gas, or other department.

Mr Knowles said that instead of the norr.j.l increase of from £4OO to £SOO in the year there had been a drop of £IOO as compared with the previous year so far as his company were concerned, representing ,i loss of £6OO. As an example of the increased price of material, ho added that a rope that previously cost £533 now cost £BOO. After some debate tho men offered to accept in lieu of their proposals the sliding scale obtaining on the City cars, provided that the other terms wero satisfactorily adjusted. The employers' representalives aaTeed (without prejudice) to accept tin's sliding scale, provided that the old conditions with respect to holidays and uniforms remained in force. s

The men could not agree to this, and the whole dispute was referred to the Arbitration Court.