CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 18

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

ENGINE DRIVERS' DISPUTE . The dispute between the Otago Engine Drivers, Firemen, and Greasers' Industrial Union of Workers and over 200 employers in Otago and Southland was heard in the Conciliation Court on Thursday and yesterday. The commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided, and the employees' assessors were Messrs W. O. Rendall, A. C. Walker, I. Larson, and J. Robinson (secretary), with Messrs J. Barron, J. A. Paterson, D. S. Wunsch, and A. S. Cookson (secretary) representing the employers. A complete settlement was reached with the exception of the under-rate workers' clause, which was referred to the Arbitration Court. The hours of work were fixed according to the particular business in which the worker was employed, with provision for overtime payment for any time in excess of those hours. A departure was made in the. method of payment, which had in the past been upon an hourly basis, but under the new award would be a weekly wage. A first-class engine driver would be paid at the rate of £5 Is per week. In a factory that was working under another award, and where provision was made for enginedrivers under that award, a special exemption was provided for on the understanding that the wages to be paid were not less than the weekly wage provided in this award, and the hours of work were similar, and preference was granted to members of the Engine-drivers' Union. OTAGO COAL MINES DISPUTE Another dispute heard by the Conciliation Council under Mr Ritchie yesterday was that of the Otago coal miners. The employers' assessors were Messrs W. D. Carson, F. Carson, and R. Green, and the representatives of the employees were Messrs H. M. Hansen, M. Thomas, J. Ratcliff, and H. M'Lagan. Representatives of mine proprietors in the Oamaru district, who were not present at the original sitting in August, were Messrs Forrest and Nimmo. A settlement was reached providing for work to be done on five days of the week, excepting that repair or maintenance work might be done on Saturday at ordinary rates. The daily hours clause was referred to the Arbitration Court. The full day was devoted to a discussion of the matters that had not been-finally disposed of at the earlier sitting, and as a result a complete understanding was reached between the assessors. It was agreed that the payment of rates should be held over until after the national conference of miners in Wellington, and that where finality was not reached at that conference the special points would be referred to the court.