TRAMWAYMEN'S. WAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20902, 18 June 1931, Page 12

TRAMWAYMEN'S. WAGES.

CUT TO BE CONSIDERED.

ATTITUDE OF THE UNION.

CLAUSE IN AGREEMENT.

MUTUAL CONSENT PROVISO.

The position of the tramwaymen in regard to the reduction in their wages, decided upon by the Auckland Transport Board at its meeting on Tuesday, will be discussed at special general meetings of the Tramways and Omnibus Employees' Union on a day next week to be fixed. It will be necessary to hold two meetings 60 that all the men on different shifts will be able to attend and be advised of the negotiations carried on between the union's assessors and the board while the question of wage reductions was being considered by the board. It is proposed therefore to hold one meeting at 10 a.m. and the other at 8 p.m.

The secretary of the union, Mr. J. Liddell, staled yesterday-that he would withhold any comment on the attitude of the board until the members of the union had been consulted, but he would like to remind the public that the tramwaymen were working under a direct agreement made with the board, and not under an award- That agreement was made last August under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act and, to meet tho wishes of the board's assessors, was made for a period of three years.

It was specifically set out in clause 54 of the agreement "that any of the provisions of this agreement may be varied by the mutual consent of the employers and tho. union to suit altered circumstances." It was contended by the union, therefore, that it was only right and just that anything that might be done to vary the agreement should be done by mutual consent, notwithstanding tho fact that the general order of the Arbitration Court roducing wages covered agreements as well as awards.. Tho union appreciated the fact that, upon application being made to it, tho Transport Board met its assessors and carried on friendly discussions. . The position now, said Mr. Liddell, was that tho union's assessors would place a report on the whole matter before the union nt tho special general meetings to bo held next week. The union representatives were prepared during the negotiations to take into consideration the circumstances now existing in tho tramway undertaking as set out by representatives of tho board, and agreed that they would recommend to their members a variation of wages which would mean a sacrifice to them, but they did not agree to variations to the extent resolved on by the board. The assessors could not bind the members of tho union and it was made clear to the board that any understanding arrived at would bo subject to' confirmation by the union. •