CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYMEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 4 May 1938, Page 11

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYMEN

PAY FOR SUNDAY WORK ISSUE BEFORE COURT j I United Press Association] CHRISTCHURCH. 2nd May. 1 The sum of £2500 in retrospective pay will be at issue in a case to come before the Court of Arbitration at its next sitting in Christchurch, probably next month. The court will be required to give a ruling on the rate at which the traffic staff of the Christchurch Tramway Board is to be paid for Sunday work. 1 If the court should rule in favour of the j Tramway Union, which contends that ! payment should be at double rates, the ; tramway board would probably be faced with the payment of extra money ! retrospective to July. 1936. and an ani >Hial increase in total wages. 1 The contention of the union is that j the present agreement specifying time , and a half for Sunday work was over- ! ruled by a clause in the Finance Act ! '1936) which specified a return to 1931 conditions in the case of workers governed by awards or industrial agreements. This question of Sunday rates of pay has been at issue in a number of New Zealand tramway services. In Wellington it was decided to pay double time, but this decision was by resolution of the city council and no judgment of the court was involved.