WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17425, 20 September 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS

r » THE MEN'S DEMANDS. CTTY COUNCIL'S POSITION. (From Oue Own Cobeespondent.) _ WELLINGTON, September 19. The City Council seems likely to take some sort of a stand in "the dispute with the tramwaymen. The council has been advised that the refusal of the men to work overtime is a breach of the existing . agreement. There have been three hi lings in support of this opinion—two by judges of the Supreme Court and one by a magistrate. These rulings have been to the effect that the refusal of men to work overtime which they have been in the habit of working is a breach of an agreement or award. It would no doubt be held bv tho court on the available evidence that there has been " concerted action" in refusing to accept this overtime work, and the court might therefore find that the men had been guilty of a strike within, tho definition in the Act. The contention of the men is that they have refused to work overtime for health reasons. Whether this contention is reasonable or not would be a question for determination by the court. Another point is that the work of the tramwaymen—the carriage of passengers by land—is an essential industry under the war regulations, and there are special nrovisions in the regulations dealing with strikes in essential industries. . The demand of the union for a minimum of Is 4d per hour is considered by the council to be somewhat extravagant." It is not a high wage for an able-bodied man, but it is very high for "work that can be done by youths of 18. There are numbers of these youths in the service now, including a few Maoris and half-castes. Some boys have left positions as message boys and i juniors in offices to go on tho trams lately.'' ! In their other positions they would be rcj ceiving at most £2 per week; but now they i can earn by working something loss than 10 hours a dav £3 12s 6d per week. The I council is willing to raise the pay of the : married men a little, but it will not make | a big general increase in wages to cover the increased cost of living to boys who are getting more than they could earn at normal times. In an official statement of tho wages actually earned by tho men it appears that I the wages of motormcn range from £4 6s £3 16s per week, and that the hours worked range from 57 to 61 per week. The I 61 hours' week was worked by only 13 men, | and tho others worked from 57 to 58-£ hours. I The pay of conductors ranges from £4 5s to £3 12s 6(1, and their hours range from ! 62i to 581 per week. During the greater part of this time the men have very light work to_ do. All the funs are out of the city limits. Tho men have nothing lik« enough to lcoop thorn fully occupied when traffic is light; but in the rush hours the conductors arc worked very hard owincr to tho overcrowding which the council has to allow because of lack of cars and power. (Per Unttf.d Pruss Association.) WELLINGTON. September 19. The special mooting of tho City Council yesterday was not open to the press, but it was liYirnrd. to-day that the question of the tramwavmon's pay was dis cussed and the opinion expressed that the council would not lie dealing fairly with the public in acceding to_ the men's demands. Some councillors considered tho council unduly generous in offering n 10 per cent, increase after th" men hnd refused .an offer of 5 per cent, and had broken the existing agreement rceardinir overtime. It is understood that the motion calling upon the men tr. enrrv O'lt oieir duties in terms of the existing agreement was carried by seven votes to four. If wo had paid the same price for jjun ammunition in 1917 as in 1916. the increase in coat would havo bean £43,000,000.