TERMS OF AGREEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17460, 3 May 1920, Page 5

TERMS OF AGREEMENT.

THEENGINEDRIVEBS' CASE.

CONCILIATION ACCEPTED. RETROSPECTIVE DEMANDS WAIVED. COMMISSION TO DECIDE. [B? TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Sunday. The following are the terms agreed to >y the Prime Minister and the executive if the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen, md Cleaners' Association :— (1) An independent tribunal to be set up, to consist of four members, two to be appointed by the Government and two by the association. The tribunal to be called a Special Conciliation Commission. (2) Two assessors to be appointed by each party; in addition each party to be represented by an advocate. (3) The whole matters in dispute to be gone into by the commission, and the result of the deliberations to be submitted for approval to each party to the dispute. (4) This commission to be set up within seven days from this date. Each party to the dispi.to to use its best endeavours to proceed with the hearing by the Special Conciliation Commission. (5) The Conciliation Commission, in reporting the result of tho deliberations, to also report from what date any increases of wages and any conditions should retrospectively commence: (6) The executive of the association agrees to advise its members, and afl whom it represents to return to work at once. The Prime Minister agrees that no member of the association, or any person who is employed in any manner in the railway service, shall be prosecuted for the present strike, or be subjected in any manner to what is known as victimisation. (7) The executive desires that one of the questions to be considered and dealt with and reported on by th» commission shall be the claims of the Locomotive Enginedrivers, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association, to be the only body recognised by the Government as representing, either collec- . tively or individually, those men who are its members in terms of its rules. The Prime Minister agrees that this question should be so considered and dealt with, but if it ' involves any question of the rights of airy other union or association that union or association shall be heard on that point by the commission if it so desires.

The agreement is signed by Mr. Massey for the Government, and by Mr. Y. ,T. Lewin (president) for the association.

ABANDONMENT OF DEMAND.

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT. SECRETARY BREAKS DOWN. [BY TBLECBArH.—O'TO COBRESPONDE.ST.] "WELLINGTON. Sunday. The president of the Enginedrivers, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association, Mr. F. .T. Lewin, made a brief statement regarding the settlement. He said that his executive wished to take the public of New Zealand into its fullest confidence. The Executive Council of the E.F.C.A., said Mr. Lewin, had resolved that if the Prime Minister would, rot give way on the request of the association for a signed undertaking that improvements in wages and conditions granted by the commission should be retrospective the alternative should be thai wages and conditions should bo dealt with -item by item until an agreement was arrived at. This resolution, was abandoned cwing to the collapse of the actions

general tecretary, Mr. W. McArley, who was conducting the strike and the negotiations on behalf of the association. The general secretary, added Mr. Lewin, had worked exceedingly hard ever since tku strike commenced. He had scarcely had any sleep. On Saturday morning, Mr. McArley attended a meeting of the locomotive men, who decided unanimously ,that tie course decided upon by the executive was the right one. He had arranged to meet the Prime Minister later in the day for a further conference in response to Mr. Massey's invitation, but during Saturday afternoon Mr. McArley suffered a severe nervous breakdown, and wa* ordered complete rest by his doctor. The executive of the E.F.C.A., after learning id the collapse of the secretary, decided not to prolong thi strike any further. He members of the executive recognised that she general secretary had a most intimate knowledge of the locomotivemen's affairs and they were not prepared to proceed without him. The executive therefore- met Mr. Massey and signed an

agreement. The terms of this agreement had been framed at the conference on Friday, when the parties failed to reacii a settlement owing to the executives demand for retrospective payments.