LOCAL BODIES’ DRIVERS

Evening Star, Issue 19381, 15 October 1926, Page 6

LOCAL BODIES’ DRIVERS

APPLICATION FOR HEW AWARD An application lor a new award covering increasi.il wages and improved working conditions was made More the Conciliation Commissioner (Air W. H. Dagger) to-day by tho Otago Drivers’ and Related Trades Union. The dispute concerned only tbs public bodies around Dunedin, those cited being the Dunedin City Corporation, the' SI. Hilda Borough Council, the Dunedin Drainage Board, the Green Island Borough Council, and the Otago Harbor Board. The union was represented by Messrs W. Herbert, J. P. Bees, and C. Hayward, and the assessors for thi employers were Alcssrs J. W ilson, G, A. Lcwin, and J. G. Alexander. The Commissioner said a number o( awards had been made in the north u respect to local bodies’ drivers. ih< parties might get some guidance from those awards. Tho union asked for a lorly-ciglit-liour week for horse drivers and forty-six-hour week in the case of drivers of motor vehicles. Air Lcwin said lie could not sec wJiy there should bo such a departure from the general drivers’ award. The corporation had outside (hiveia covered by the dominion award than drivers of its own. Mr Herbert said ho would accept 4J] hours a week, as agreed upon in Wellington, provided Is lid an hour was granted to general drivers. No agreement could he reached with respect to hours of work, and the council proceeded to deal with the claims for wages. The union asked for wages as follows: —General drivers, £4_lßs a week; scavenger cart drivers, £5; household refuse cart drivers, £5 ss; drivers motor tractors and petrol road rollers, £5; “Bear Cat” drivers, £5 ss; drivers of motor vehicles of carrying capacity rtf under three tons, £5; motor vehicles of three tons and over, £5 ss. An extra IDs a week was asked for drivers of two horses. Tho union also asked that drivers employed by the Drainage Board called upon to stand by should be paid for two weeks’ holidays alter twelve months’ continuous service. For stablemen a weekly wage of £5 5s was asked, the time worked in excess of f)G hours a fortnight to In paid at the rate of 2s Gd an, hour. ■When the wages wore discussed the assessors for the employers pointed out that, if they had to pay more than tho rate for outside drivers there would he a tendency to have tho ivork done hy outside contractors instead of by the local bodies themselves. Air Lewin said there was a growing inclination on the City Council to have more of its carting work done by contractors. Air Herbert said be was sure the court would grant a. wage of Is lid for general drivers employed by local bodies. The court had laid it. down that municipal bodies’ drivers should get a penny more than outside drivers.

At the luncheon adjournment agreement bad been reached onl# on minor points, and the council adjourned till the afternoon.