CH.CH. TRAMWAYS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1931, Page 2

CH.CH. TRAMWAYS

BOARD AND UNION CONFER. [PER press association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 5. Another conference was held this afternoon between the representatives of the Tramway Board and the Tramway Employees’ Union, in an endeavour to compose the differences between the two bodies. The Board recently invoking special powers conferred by its special Act, 1 withdrew from the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Court, and announced a slight reduction in pay and also considerable alterations in the working conditions, with the object of reducing the overtime costs, particularly for Sunday work. The Union refused to accept the new conditions. The Union offered to accept a ten per cent, cut in wages. Previous conferences had proved abortive. Yesterday, the Board, at a meeting agreed' to meet the Union in another conference to-day. This conference lasted for two hours and a-half, with several adjournments to enable either side to consider privately the proposals and counter proposals. Another conference is to be held in a few days, probably early next week, and the Board has agreed to postpone . the operation of the new working conditions, which were to have come into force next Monday.

To-tlay the : Board offered further concessions in the proposed conditions. The Union’s representatives made a ' counter offer, which the Board is taking time to consider. It has been decided to make a com bined request that the meeting of t£e Labour Disputes Committee with Mr P. Hally, the Conciliation . Commis sioner, as Chairman, which, was to have sat to-morrow, be postponed. WAGE-CUT CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, May 5. A special meeting of the New Zealand National Industrial Council, "the body set up by the recent Open Labour Conference, convened by the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, [s being held at Wellington. Mr A. Cook is presiding. About 20 delegates from various parts of New Zealand are present. The main business before the meeting is the attitude to be adopted in the Arbitration Court next week concerning the application by the Employers’ Federation for a general order for the reducing of wages. At the conclusion 1 of to-day’s session, it was stated that there was nothing for publication. '