40-Hour Five-Bay Week For H.B. Drivers

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22887, 5 March 1949, Page 8

40-Hour Five-Bay Week For H.B. Drivers

NOT IN THE MEANTIME

(P.A.) HASTINGS, Mar. 4. The operation of the 40-hour fiveday week by country transport drivers in Havvke’s Bay is not to be proceeded with in the meantime. The new hours were to have been brought into operation as from Monday next in accordance with a decision this week by the executive of the Hawke's Bay Road Transport Drivers’ Union. Now the union has been advised from its headquarters in Wellington to call off any action. In stating this today, the secretary of the union, Mr. M. Crawford, said that national headquarters had asked that the Hawke's Bay union should hold its hand while negotiations were continuing with the employers. In consequence, all award conditions would be adhered to on Monday, the day on whkn it was proposed to take action by introducing a five-day week of eight hours a day. When the reduction of hours was agreed to Hawke’s Bay freezing workers promised their support to the transport drivers’ decision, undertaking to handle no stock delivered to the freezing works outside the new hours.

The question of independent action has not arisen among members of the Gisborne transport workers’ organisation, who have been content to await the outcome of conciliation proceedings, and consequent instructions from their federation headquarters. Transport work in this district is proceeding under the conditions of the old award, and it is assumed that any changes made in those conditions will be retrospective in application.