TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES' HOURS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 March 1911, Page 3

TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES' HOURS.

COMPLAINTS BY CHRISTCHURCH MEN. [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO THE STAR.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. There is a good deal of dissatisfaction amongst the employees of the Christchurch Tramway Board. It is stated that a considerable number of them entertain fairly strong feelings in regard to the conditions under which they have to work, especially the long hours that are sometimes imposed. Recently the Board's officers prepared a "Roster," a land of time-table setting out the shifts or runs, and the employees took exception to the arrangements made for "broken time." In some instances men are kept standing about waiting to start work, the interval between getting off and starting again not being sufficient to enable them to make any practical use of the time. The consequence is that although not actually employed all the time they have to be in attendance for long hours, and they have really to spend a long time earning a day's wage, the rate per hour on that basis being reduced considerably below the recognised minimum wage in this part of the world.

Some weeks ago the Boards Traffic Manager, however, met them only to a certain extent, and now they are discussing the position amongst themselves again. It is stated that the Sunday shifts are specially long and tiresome. The trouble seems to have been accentuated oy changes in the "runs" made recently. Men who have .been placed on the "Bad" runs, and who are not accustomed to them, complaining of the conditions. The Traffic Manager when seen said that after a deputaioh from the men waited on the Board a few weeks ago. Some of the alterations in the "roster" they had asked for were made, and since then he had heard no further complaints.