UNION’S CLAIM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26782, 27 May 1948, Page 4

UNION’S CLAIM

TRAMWAYS DISPUTE FURTHER MEETINGS TO-DAY PLANS FOR SECRET BALLOT Two shift meetings of the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Tramways IJnion decided unanimously yesterday afternoon to seek an assurance from the en-gineer-manager of the City Transport Department, Mr L. C. Greig, by 2 p.m. to-day that 63 men who normally perform the duties of acting drivers in each of the branches of the service will be paid drivers’ wages for the whole of their working time. This undertaking is required by the union to operate until such time as a decision is given by a competent independent authority on the question in dispute. Two further shift meeting's of the union are to be held at, 2 p.m. and 3.15 p.m. to-day. Unless the required assurance is given by the department, a secret ballot will be held among the 63 acting drivers to decide whether they will accept acting drivers’ work in future. A resolution will also be put to the shift meetings that the acting drivers should be supported by the other members of the union in whatever action they wish to take to protect themselves in the event of any alleged victimisation. The president of the union, Mr W. B. Richards, told both shift meetings yesterday that the executive had approached the engineer-manager and had been informed that acting drivers were to be paid at drivers’ rates only while they were employed as drivers, although the Transport Department had paid them at drivers’ rates since July of last year. He claimed that certain cuts were to be made in the costs of running the department, and that the one usually followed was to cut the employees’ wages. He said that no decision was reached at the conference after a discussion lasting for over two hours. The union claimed that an acting driver was entitled to drivers’ rate of pay as soon as he drove in traffic, although he might

normally be employed as a conductor, as> was set. out in the decision of the Tramways Emergency Disputes Committee last July. On the other band, he said, the department intended to invoke another clause in the decision which, he claimed, did not apply to traffic at all. National Secretary’s View Mr Richards explained that the terms of the dispute had been referred to the national secretary of the Tramways Union, Mr P. A. Hanson, who had replied that the view was held in Wellington that the Transport Department had made a hasty decision, but if an invitation to fui'ther discussions were received by the local union it should take advantage of it. Mr Richards added that this was done, and the engineer-manager was informed that the union was prepared to have the dispute decided by an independent authority if the men were paid the former rate in the meantime. A letter was later received from the engineermanager to the effect that the department did not intend to bay the former rate. ‘ ' The speaker said that the acting drivers could decline the offer of the department to be paid more only while they were acting as drivers, and do only their normal duties. This would mean, however, that there would be certain trams without drivers, owing to the staffing position. He added that a general meeting of the union had recommended that the straight-shift drivers should not work sixth days, which were voluntary. Mr Richards claimed that, as the union had met the department on three occasions in an endeavour to reach a settlement of the dispute, if there were any serious dislocation of transport in Dunedin the fault would not lie with the workers. . A member of the union said Uia. the Transport Department hoped that the union would not back up me claims of the 63 men concerned, adding that if wage-pruning were allowed to continue it might work its way through the whole service. At both shift meetings members claimed that the recent decision of the department was an attempt to over-ride the decision of the Tramways Emergency Committee. Clauses in Dispute The clause on which the union bases its claim states: “A driver of a tramcar shall be deemed to be appointed when he first acts as such in traffic, and from that time on he shall be paid at drivers’ rates of pay, except in the case of a reduction in the number lequired, when he shall go back to his former rates of pay.” The clause on which the department has based its action states: Any worker required to perform, other than his normal duties shall receive the rate of pay for the higher grade of work when so employed, irrespective of whether the higher rate is paid for his normal employment or for the woik on which he is temporarily employed. In no case shall the additional pay be for a lesser amount than the equivalent of one hour for the higher rate.