MOTOR MECHANICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 79, 2 March 1938, Page 10

MOTOR MECHANICS

DOMINION AWARD SOUGHT. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. March 1. A working week of 35 hours between Monday and Friday was sought by workers when claims for a new Dominion award for motor mechanics came before a conciliation council this morning. The minimum wages asked for were £7 a week for foremen, £6 10s for charge hands, 3s 6d an hour for A grade mechanics, 3s 3d an hour for ordinary mechanics, 3s for vulcanisers, 3s for assemblers, 2s 9d for garage attendants and tuition drivers, and 3s 6d for inspectors. Thirteen recognised holidays and ten consecutive days annually were asked for. Bowser attendants claimed, a 40-hour week and three weeks’ holiday, with a weekly wage of £5 10s. The employers offered 2s 8d an hour for A grade mechanics, 2s 6d tor others, and 2s 4Jd for assemblers and vulcanisers, with 2s 8d for inspectors. Seven days of recognised holidays were offered. For garage attendants the offer was £4 12s a week. CASE FOR FIVE DAYS. CATERING FOR PUBLIC. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, March 1. If 75 per cent of the garage proprietors m a locality and their mechanics agreed to a 40-hour week on five days from Monday to h riday tlie New Zealand Garage Proprietors’ Association would agree to an application being made to the Court for. an amendment of the award in that locality. This proposition was made to the employees by Mr D. 1. MacDonald, of Christchurch, the agent for the employers at the Conciliation Council meeting here to-day. The proposal was made after tlie employees had asked for a 40-hour week for mechanics over five days. The views of the employees on the proposal will be considered to-morrow. It was stated by the employers that the scheme would work better in the cities than in the country districts, where a good deal of business was done on Saturday mornings through the increase in motor traffic. Mr G. T. Thurston, agent for tlie employees, said that Nelson, AA’hangarei, Gore and Te Aroha had adopted 40 hours on the first five days of the Mr C. R. Filmond, of AA’ellington, for the employers, said that the consensus of opinion among garage proprietors was that it was necessary to keep open on Saturday mornings to serve the public. If tlie Government brought in universal Saturday morning closing the garages would fall into line.