DRIVERS DISSATISFIED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23649, 5 November 1938, Page 19

DRIVERS DISSATISFIED

PROVISIONS OF NEW AWARD EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD DISAPPROVAL (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 4. As the result of the dissatisfaction felt by the drivers with the terms of their award, resolutions to-day have been received by the New Zealand Drivers' Federation from all drivers' unions calling upon the federation, in conjunction with the Federation of Labour, to express emphatic disapproval of the provisions of the new award, which are considered inadequate, and asking i the Drivers' Federation to urge the Government to remedy the position. The Wellington Union is to hold a special meeting on Monday night, and a similar meeting is being held at Auckland on Sunday. MEETING WITH MR SAVAGE NEGOTIATIONS IN PROGRESS .Per United Press Association> WELLINGTON, Nov. 4. Delegates from the Drivers' Federation had a conference with the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) to-day. The meeting was not open to the press. Mr F. C. Allerby (secretary of the New Zealand Drivers' Federation) stated subsequently that negotiations with the Government were still in progress. OPPOSED TO STRIKE POSITION IN DUNEDIN SPECIAL MEETING ON TUESDAY " While members of the Otago Drivers' Union are certainly dissatisfied with the wages and hours prescribed in the new motor and horse drivers' award announced on Thursday, there is no possibility of a strike taking place in the meantime," said the secretary of the local union (Mr H. Brown) when approached by an Otago Daily Times reporter to confirm or deny the rumour that was current in some quarters in Dunedin yesterday that Otago drivers had decided to strike.

" The union is certainly going to take some action," Mr Brown added, "but nothing will be done until after Tuesday night, when a special meeting of the union will be held There will be representatives of the Otago Trades. Council of the Federation of Labour at the meeting, at which the whole position will be fully discussed and a course of action decided upon. This decision, of course, will, be referred to the New Zealand Union for approval. In the meantime, it is most unlikely that any step will be taken by Dunedin drivers to show their disapproval of the new award."