DRIVERS’ THREAT

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 1

DRIVERS’ THREAT

MAY STOP WORK DEPENDS GN ISSUE OF CONFERENCE 13.500 MEN WOULD BE INVOLVED. [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, October 27. Roughly 800 members of the Auckland Drivers’ Union decided at a meeting to-night, that if the conference between their executive and the Minister of Labour (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) in Auckland to-morrow is not productive of satisfaction of their demands for improved award conditions they decide, at a special meeting next Tuesday night, to stop work as from the following morning. It was learned that such a move would have the support of all unions affiliated with the National Federation, which would mean that 13.500 men would become idle throughout the Dominion. Other than to say that the Minister was coming to Auckland from Rotorua for the specific purpose ' of conferring with the union executive, the secretary (Mr L. G. Matthews) declined to comment. The question at issue was the delay in an announcement by the Arbitration Court of the drivers’ award, which expired a year ago. Application was then made for a new award, and the parties met in conciliation in February and March of this year. Since the court had pronounced in February that an increase of 5s a week should be made to meet the increased cost of living, the union considered its members had lost at least that much weekly for eight months. It is understood there were some differences of opinion among the men at the meeting. One section wished to give the executive a free hand in its negotiations with Mr Armstrong upon the argument that since the matter was in the hands of the Arbitration Court he could not give a decision. The other viewpoint was that the executive should take an unequivocal stand and demand the following clauses written into the _ award A 40-hour week (at present it is 44 in the city and suburbs), two weeks’ annual holiday, and an all-round increase of 10s a week, the last-mentioned to be retrospective from last February.