ARBITRATION COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13709, 27 March 1908, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

■ ' -o- _ THE DRIVERS' DEMANDS. [BY telegbath.— association-.] ' Wellington, Thursday. fHE hearing of the drivers' dispute "was commenced at the Arbitration Court today. Mr. Pryor sat >as the employers'' representative, in place of Mr. Brown, who is personally interested. - •*• i*'». The union asked that the hours'of, labour should be reduced by half an hour per week, by allowing the men to cease*" work at 12.15 p.m. on Saturdays instead"V: of 12.45 p.m. An increase to £2 10s, or : 5s per week, to drivers was asked. In . the case of men in charge of two horses £2 14s was requested, an increase of 4s, with 4s for each additional horse, instead of two horses, as at present. Casual labour they asked should be paid for at the rate of Is 3d per hour instead of Is . as at present. The existing holidays • were asked for, and the employers agreed. In the matter of overtime they asked for a rate of Is 6d per'hour. For Sunday work and work on Good Friday 2s per hour was claimed, and Is 6d for work done on other holidays. Another demand was for the_ weekly payment of wages, .-' and for the abolition of the provision regarding the boarding arrangements with employers. Where 15 or more horses were kept in a stable' the union asked that a stableman should be kept. Finally the union asked for a poll to extend the award. .Evidence was then called by the union in support of the claims, and statements made by Mr. Blaekie. In his opening address Mr. Scott said that this was the twentieth time the drivers had been before the' Arbitration Court, yet the union was still discontented. Wellington drivers were the best paid in ' the Dominion. The case is not concluded.A number of technical interpretations of awards were given. * • • —t~ ■ ■'■'■■ .. .1 THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE. [BY TKLEURAI'H. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington". Thursday. The Wellington shearers' dispute has been formally referred to the Arbitration ' Court by the Shearers' Union. - The Court, which will sit at J'almerston North on April 2, is to bs requested by the representatives'from the shearers and the employers to : have embodied as an award the conditions of labour in th« recommendations which were agreed to by both parties when in conference some time ago.