CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19197, 13 June 1924, Page 11

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

KAIKORAI TRAMWAYS DISPUTE. PARTIAL AGREEMENT REACHED. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held yesterday to deal with an industrial dispute between the Kaikorai Cable Tramway Employees' Union o£ Workers and the City Corporation and tho Dunedin and Kaikorai Tram Company. Mr W. H. Ilaggcr (Conoitiiiiir. Commissioner) presided. The assessors foe the employers were Messrs J. t>. Douglas, W. A. Scott, and J. A. t'alerson, and those for the union were Messrs J. E• Gallic, J. Hayrnes, and W. Abernethy. Tlio union’s claims in regard to wages were: —Conductor, first three mouths, 1« £)d per hour; next nine months, Is lOd; after. 12 m mills, Is lid. Motonncn and' gripmen, first 13 months, jis lid; alter 12 months, 2s Linesmen and greasers, ‘is per hour. Car examiner and repairer, is Id per hour. Assistant car examiner and repairer, Is lid per hour. Ropeman, weekly wage of .£5. The hours of work asked for were' —(a) Motormen, gripmen, and conductors, a minimum of 96 hours each fortnight of not less than eight hours for each day for 12 week days, all time worked in excess of eight hour's in any one day to be paid for at tho rate of time and a-quarter for the first hour, and tim® and a-half thereafter. All other classes of workers shall work eight horns daily on six days of the week, or eight and three-quar-ters on fiivs'days of the week, and four and a-quartcr hours on one, day, all time worked in excess of these hours to be paid for at tho rate of time and a-half. Any worker called back for repair work shall receive_ a minimum of two hours at overtime rates; but this clause shall not apply in the ca«e of a breakdown of the plant. All work done between midnight and 7 a.m. to be paid at overtime rates; (b) all time worked on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday shall be paid for at double time rates. Workers called back for Sunday work shall receive a minimum of three hours’ work; (c) motormen and gripmen who have to examine thenown cars before taking them out of the carshed, shall be allowed 15 minutes. Motormen, gripmen, and conductors sho.ll be allowed actual time occupied in running their cars into shed. Ail employees after 12 months’ continuous service shall receive the following holidays and full ordinary pay per anprtlm;— First year, nine days; after first year, two weeks. Holidays shall not be allowed to accumulate, except in exceptional circumstances, and shall be balloted for each year, but the right is reserved to the manager of any employer to defer any holidays if he deems it necessary for the efficient working of the service. All broken shifts shall bo completed in 12 hours every day except Friday or Saturday to be no more than 13 hours, and not more than two parts. All time worked beyond such 12 hours on either of such days shall be paid for at overtime rates. No employee shall be signed oil for less than two hours. Any conductor not being relieved of his bag at the termination of his shift shall bo paid one hour per week for paying in the following day. A seal shall be provided for motormen and gripmen for use on each car, if practicable. All employees except casual hands shall be allowed to travel free to and from work. Whenever there are suitable men in the service all promotions of employees affcctftl by this award shall be made from the employees at the time of the vacancy occurring. In all cases, seniority, capability, and record shall be taken into consideration. All uniforms required shall be supplied by employers free of charge. Ordinary uniforms shall bo supplied once a year, and overcoats once every second year. Conductors’ “overs” shall bo placed in Juxtaposition to “shortages” every day, and balanced to conductors every pay-day. Credit balances shall be carried forward. Conductors shall have the right to make up their bags in the presence of a resopnsible official. In their counter proposals the employers asked for the following rates of wages: Conductors: First and second year of cmnloyment, Is BJd per hour; third, fourth, and fifth year, Is 9d; sixth year and over. Is lOd. Motormen and gripmen; First and second year, Is 9d per hour; third, fourth, and fifth year, ,1s lOd; sixth year and over, Is lid. Linesmen, Is lid; assistant linesman, Is B£d; ropemen, Is lOd; car repairer, Is lid; assistant car repairer. Is 9d. In regard to hours, the employers asked that ginpmen, motomen, and conductors should average eight hours per day, and should be guaranteed 96 hours per fortnight of 12 working days, all time worked in excess of eight hours in any one, day to be paid for at the rate of time and a-quartcr for the first hour and double time afterwards. It was proposed that all other classes of workers should work eight hours daily on six days per week, or 8J hours on five days and 4J hours on one day, all time worked in excess of these hours to be paid for at the rate of time and a-half. Tho emoloyers also proposed that any worker called back for repair work should receive a minimum of two hours at overtime rates, but that this clause should not apply in tho case of a breakdown of the plant. Payment at the rate of double time was proposed for work done on Christmas Day and Good Friday, and at the rate of time and ahalf for Sunday work, workers called back for Sunday work to receive a minimum of three hours’ work. An allowance of 15 minutes was proposed foi; motormen and gripmen who had to examine their cars before taking them out of the car sheds while the actual time occupied in running the cars into the shed would be paid for. The counter-proposals in regard to holidays were as follows:—Motormen, gripmen, and conductors: After 12 months continuous service, seven consecutive days, on full ordinary nay; under three years, eight days; over three and under five years, nine days; over five and under seven years, 19 days: seven years and over, 12 days; all other employees with over one year’s continuous service and working under this award, eight consecutive days. Proposals were made that holidays should, not be allowed to accumulate, and that they should be balloted for each year, tho right to be reserved to tho manager of any employer to defer any holidays if he deemed such a course necessary for the efficient working of the service. A proposal was made for the completion of all broken shifts in 12 hours except on either Friday or Saturday (to be in not more than two parts), all time worked beyond such 12 hours on Mondays to Thursdays to be paid for at overtime rates. i Other proposals were: No employee shall be signed off for less than one hour; seats shall be provided for motormen and gripmen for use on each car if practicable; all employees except casual hands shall be allowed to travel free to and from work; whenever there are anil abe men in the service all promotions of employees affected by this award shall be made from the employees at the time of the vacancy occurring; in all cases seniority, capability, and record shall be taken into consideration. At the commencement of the sitting Mr Hayrnes stated that it was hardly fair to proceed until the assessors for the union had had time to peruse the counter-pro-posals, which they had not received before tho hearing of the dispute. They wanted time to enable them to grasp the details. The Commissioner stated that the union’s proposals would be taken first and the counter-proposals afterwards.. The assessors for the union would be given every opportunity to consider the counter-proposals thoroughly. The holidays were left as at presertt with the exception that they are extended to all employees. The hours of work asked for by the union wore agreed to with the exception of clause B, anti the provisions in regard to broken shifts wore left as at present. It was agreed that uniforms should bo supplied when required. The. working conditions generally were left as at present, subject to minor alterations. The question of payment at double rates for work done on Sundays was discussed at length. The assessors for the union indicated that if the employers would meet the workers on this point the latter would I>o prepared to accept the remainder of the present award, subject to certain minoi alterations as to conditions. Mr Paterson stated that if work done on Sundays were paid for at double rates the Kaikorai Tram Company would probably decide to close down on Sundays. Mr Hayrnes said he did not think the union would agree to time and a-half on the Roslyn line, seeing that the men on the city cars were paid double time. Eventually the question of wages and Sunday work was left over till a later sitting. The currency of the award was fixed at two years.