SPREAD OF HOURS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26243, 29 August 1946, Page 8

SPREAD OF HOURS

TRANSPORT DRIVERS' DISPUTE BOTH SIDES ADAMANT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. Drivers would not tolerate a fortnightly spread of hours any longer. They should be placed in the samp position as other workers and on a weekly basis, said Mr F. C. Allerby, employees’ assessor, when the matter of hours for New Zealand Road Transport and Motor and Horse Drivers’ -and their Assistants’ Association was in dispute in the Conciliation Council today. Mr Allerby said he had been .definitely instructed to ask that the hours be put on a weekly basis. The drivers would not any longer by Cinderalls. The employers wanted a spread of hours without paying overtime. Mr H. J. Knight, for the employers, said they were just as adamant on the spread of hours and the outlook was not at all hopeful. The claims by the employees were on the whole absolutely hopeless. If any real agreement could not be reached, and the parties to the dispute to beat the air, then time' was being wasted. It was better to take the matter into court, Mr Allerby said that if he went back to the workers and said he had agreed to a fortnightly spread of hours there would be a stoppage in the industry to-morrow.

The Conciliation Commissioner. Mr S. Ritchie, said that offers and counteroffers had previously been made in the dispute. There was not quite the difference between the two parties that at first sight appeared. Both sides should get down to the main issues in the dispute, then a settlement would ce possible.. After the morning session, it was decided that the parties should meet independently to see if they could come to an understanding on the points in dispute.