CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 22804, 12 November 1937, Page 2

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

SETTLEMENT OF LINESMEN S DISPUTE A complete settlement -of the dispute between electrical linesmen and power boards in the Otago district .was reached in Conciliation Council yesterday afternoon. Linesmen’s work was defined as meaning the complete installation of overhead and underground electric power mains from the supply station to the point of connection to the consumer, and the erection and connecting up of transformers and street lamps. The work of patrolling lines shall be performed by linesmen. The work of linesmen’s assistants shall include the carrying out of all necessary work in assisting linesmen and under their direction.

Tlie employees’ proposals were that the minimum rate of wages for linesmen for the 40-hour week should be 2s 9d per hour, for assistants 2s 6d per hour. The employers’ counter-pro-posals were 2s 6d per hour for linesmen and 2s 4d per hour for assistants. The parties finally agreed on 2s 7£d for linesmen and 2s 5d for assistants. Gangers will receive Is 6d per day in excess of linesmen’s wages. Dirt money at the rate of Is 6d per day or part of a day, shall be paid. Overtime shall be paid at the rate of time-and-a-half for the first four hours and double time thereafter. It was also agreed that time occupied in travelling to and from •Work up to 20 minutes one way per day shall not be paid for. An annual holiday of five working days was agreed upon in addition to eight paid holidays.