THE TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17375, 23 January 1920, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYS DISPUTE

:* ■ .. \ • . i. . .. PROPOSED CONFERENCE. : __ : ciyx council's 'action. ' — '•« DOMINION AWARD FAVOURED - Tin tramways dispute J" "['™tsiy ' at : last evenings meeting oif th # U J • Council by the Mayor, Mr. J. H 1 vho read c»rjespondenco .on Uo suby v shcnvino' what negotiation* bad token ' : place to data Daring the vacation per ■ th o dispute was left by the council m the - hank of the Mayor, tho chainnan of the ' Public Services domnuttee, Mr, W. J-•-V : Hoidworth', and the general manager of 'the tramways. Mr. J. ff. Walklate. - , in his statement Mr. Gunson said that v 'on January'ls a circular • had been reV: ceived from the Sew Zealand Transport Workers' Advisory • Board, to whom the - dispute bad been relegated by the various unions uxging tho tramwayu authorities ui, the dii'orcnt centres to endeavour to estab- £ lish a national industrial agreement bo-. • tTCMi the employers and employees concaned throughout tho Dominion. With a • km/ of arriving at. a basis of such an agreement; it was suggested that pro-! : : -'.. ILiiinarv ' conferences between ;. tho parties : -v. in .each. centre he arranged. Tho -.board «:'v suggested that another Dominion infer- • ence fee held after the proposed local conferences. , - ' -.- Policy, of the;, Council.; :

Th fl Maror said that, in reply to this circular* he had telegraphed to tho bo^d - that ho did not see that • conference the' Auckland tramway men at present could do any good. He pointed put that . "in Auckland the men.wew jig under agreements vrtdch were completed w: th the - ' IVansport Workers' Association ie February, aid June last. These would ' nature in May. Therefore, in about three u.onths . time, "tiho council must negotiate ujta the association for » freak agreement, uovided : : - 110 Dominion agreement was arrived at m ' the meantime. ' Ho had no doubt the counv - oil Would be able to com® to a mutually acceptable agreement. In these .circum- ' • stances, what object was tliere for a conference in Auckland at present, as , the association could not eipuct tbe • council to discuss J the question of ; ft Dominion Y: /: agreement unless all parties concerncd . were .present? Eegarding a "Dominion agreeC •'"• ment . the council was in favour of this, and if all others concerned were prepared to attend another conference, -having already approved the principle of a Do- •: minion aerepment-, ■ and if it were. understood that the conference met" with - tho i object of. arranging wages and conditions for the whole of the Dominion, represent*. ;. Jives of the Auckland City Council would attend. But, as the last conference, was Vy< ' abortive, the council must; have an understanding with the others concerned trial V"' they were seriously disposed to the accept-j * ; ante' of Dominion terms, and that ne:t%" • they nor the association would disagree' . - • i-iniply because there might bo some small ; , , differences as to questions which should ( > any must be. settled amicably. ; The AtekJasd. cc<ancil would do everything reasonable /'and possible to facilitate a • satisfactory sottJeraent, but could nat !en.r:c--is m other centres of,'tie"Dominion : : . eyjepi oa i-ho tenna ho had'outlined. ,

reisjOTgicß ..Dssired at Wellington., ! • •• ,> Mr. Goasoa .said thai; on' •iYeSaestby he had received * a t-elegram : " from JlO . Mayor of Wellington, Mr. J. .P. • Luis, M.P., stilting that} it' was: impera- . tive v '.'hat a new agreement should bo *\r arrived at in Wellington, • Mr. Luke'raged : that a further conference be held to con- . sider "the Question of a Dominion award, or, as an alter jafrive, anagreement > for cs.ch island. Mr. Luke invited representatives of th« 'Auckland: Council to attend a ; 7 conference to be held st tho Wellington Town Hal! on January 28. • . v :i ' Mr. Gun son said he had' replied to Mr. Luke stating 4 that ' Auckland favoured '"ft Dominion sward and would appoint , representatives to ■ attend the conference, ' provided all othersconcerned confirm eel their, acceptance of the principle of a Dominion; award, and the conference) was :/' called for th e purpose of settling pay and conditions. His reply- had farther stated . that Auckland worn not become a 'party \ tp' an • agreement ■ for the * North Island only. The alternative for Auckland to a : local award was a Dominion agreement embracing all systems. He askefcl Mr. Luke 1 V t<i intimate to .ill ; the other proprietary interested tho Jittitndo of ' Auckland; and Jo advise him as noon as possible wfcsUier i they agreed to the conference on these terras. He understood from Mr. Luke's telegram that as far as WeL'jagtou was concerned theso conditions Wvuld be ac- ' .. ceptable. > , '* >{* Men Understand Position. :.*•• * Commenting upon this correspondence, 1 the ; Mayor said,, the position •so far as ■ir Auckland jvSs concerned was; ;peiiectly , clear, and owing to interviews with the . representatives of the "local union, was • thoroughly understood by them as; well a£ j by the Transport Waiters' Associtaion .in Wellington. The last conference had ; • proved abortive, although the represents ; tives of the Auckland City Council who had attended " had signified their approval . • of a Dominion award, and had stated .- that .they were prepared to abide by the ■ decision arrived at by the conference, ' whatever 'it might be.'.' Christchurch, however, had objected, as it w£nt«d v its own terms and conditions. This had led =,i to the utility of the conference. "i ' • The action taken by the mayor and sub--5 > committee was approvijd. .: ~ ~