Support Bus Drivers

Northern Advocate, 19 January 1944, Page 2

Support Bus Drivers

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The council of the Associated Society of Railway Servants has considered the bus drivers’ case and has issued the following statement: "The executive council has always advocated the payment of a double rate for Sunday work on the grounds Hint Sunday is a day of rest and should not be interfered with if it is at all possible to avoid it. In conformity with this recognised policy, we have for years past endeavoured to prevail upon the Government and the Railway Department to pay double rates for Sunday duty to members of our road motor services branch. "Because of this, and in order to keep Sunday work for our members down to an absolute minimum, we support the request of our bus drivers to be brought into line with the rest of the service and allowed double pay for Sunday duty. As. however, the passenger Transport Drivers’ Award is taken by the Railways Department as a basis on which the wages of our motor service branch members are determined. does not provide for doublet pay for Sunday di’ty, and as the added difficulty of .stabilisation regulations still exists, negotiations were still proceeding on behalf of our bus drivers when they decided not to work on Sundays until the question of double pay was settled. “Whilst there may be differences of opinion with regard to the method adopted by the bus drivers, it must be obvious that the executive council cannot depart from its declared policy or repudiate the principle already established in this matter.”