DRIVERS’ AWARD

Evening Star, Issue 23124, 25 November 1938, Page 8

DRIVERS’ AWARD

REQUEST FOR ALTERED PROVISIONS EMPLOYERS AGAINST CHARGE PRINCIPLE OF ARBITRATION INVOLVED [Peb United Press Association,] WELLINGTON, November 25. A conference of representatives of the New Zealand Federated Drivers and Related Trades’ Industrial Association of Workers and. the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance, New Zealand Carriers and Customs Agents’ _ Association, and other employers of drivers, commenced yesterday arid concluded! this morning, under the chairmanship of Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation. The object of the hieeting was to give the workers’ representatives an opportunity of submitting _ to the employers certain matter arising out of the recent award of the Court of Arbitration. The most important matter brought forward for discussion was whether wages should be based on 40 hours, and any hours worked above 40 should be paid for, and the desirability that the wages rates should bear the same relative position to the wages of other workers as was the case in past awards. Other matters discussed' were clause 2, sub-clause (e) for the purpose of embodying the principle of a rate, such as is already embodied in the award for bakers’ drivers for early starting; clause 2, sub-clause (f) for the purpose of eliminating the words “ except for serious misconduct”; clause 3, part 1., sub-clause (a), wages; and sub-clauses (cl and) (d) for minor amendments. With regard to part 11., it was desired to discuss hours (especially seasonal hours) and wages; danse 8, in respect to the words “ for serious misconduct ” ; clause 1 (a), part,lll., re drivers’ assistants employed on bakers’ vehicles, making provisions for drivers’ assistants on bakers’ vehicles; clause 9 (b), meal allowance for drivers working under part 11., and also some retrospective pay. These matters were discussed in detail,, after which an adjournment was taken to allow the employers’ delegates to consider their reply. On resumption, the employers submitted their reply as follows: “ The representatives of the employers of the drivers have given careful consideration to the representations and requests made by the Drivers’ Union, and, while they are of opinion that an award better in some respects might have been obtained during conciliation proceedings, now that the award has been made, they feel that any attempt to alter its provisions would involve violation of the principles which are vjtal to the arbitration system, and therefore have been forced to the conclusion that the award should remain unaltered for its term of one year.” Both sides expressed appreciation of the spirit in which the discussion had been conducted, and the workers’ representatives expressed regret that no result had been obtained from the conference, and said they would report back to their members the views expressed by the employers as well as the final reply.