CITY ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 9

CITY ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS.

AGREEMENT WITH THE WORKERS. The following are the principal clauses in the agreement arrived at by the City Council and its tramway employees:

Wages.—The following shall be the minimum rate of wages -.—Motormen: Onder one year's service. Is 02d per hour ; over one and under two years. Is lid; over two and under three years, Is 12d; over three years service, Is 2|d. Conductors: Under one year's service, Is; over one year's service, Is o|d In the event of an employee resigning or being dismissed from the service and being reinstated at a later date, his length of service shall be computed from the date of his last engagement Car equipment adjusters and examiners. Is lid per hour; linesmen, Is lid; tower wagon drivers, Is l£d; linesmen's labourers Is; permanent way repairers, Is; general labourers, Is; pitmen, Is; car cleaners Is, track cleaners, Is. It being agreed that if labourers in anv other branch of the corporation receive an increase, the same increase to bo given to men employed in the permanent way work of the tramways department. All men on regular night shift to be paid Jd per hour extra. Motormen and conductors manning specials after 12 midnight to be paid at double time rates and to fee allowed Is extra in lieu of a meal. The rates of pay for ordinary time of all tramway employees not included in the above list'shall be fixed by the operating award in regard to their respective trades or employments. . , Hours of Work.—The following shall bo the hours of work on the six week days: (a) The hours of work for motormen and. conductors on regular shifts (excluding U tables) shall average eight hours per day, and the employer shall have the right to call upon any employee to work rune hours, paying for the time so worked at ordinary rates. Men not to be signed oil for less than one hour. (b) Sundays: Motormen and conductors to be paid double time rates for all time worked before 1 p.m. on Sundays, and at time and a-half rates for all time worked after 1 p.m. on Sundays. AH men' called to report for duty on Bundays to :be booked up for not less than two hours. Forty-four regular shifts to get every alternate Sunday off. . (c) Christmas Day' and Good Friday: All time worked on Christmas Day and Good Friday shall be paid for at double time rates. (d) Motormen and conductors shall be paid whi St waiting at sports, races, and other public amusements, unless signed off at dejjot, and they shall not be signed off for less ttian one hour. Motormen and conductors booked up on late specials to ro out after 9 p.m. shall be paid a minimum of ono hour tor such work. All shifts (except "G tables) to be completed in 12 hours, except Saturday ; Saturday, 13 hours. Under exceptional circumstances the manager to have the right to work men over those hours, tin* the time so worked to be paid for at. overtime rates. . , Overtime —The following shall bo the rates of overtime paid to the several classes of employees :—(a) All time worked beyond nine hours on any week day shall be paid for at time and a-half rates. (b) Permanent way men called out for night work shall bo booked up for a minimum of one hour. , All call back work done outside regular roster duty to be paid for at umo and a-half rates. , Travelling.—All employees includod m this agreement shall be provided with parses to travel free to and from duty. Signing Otn and Off.—Motormen shall sign on eight minutes previous to taking on their cars, and »ehall bo allowed soyon minute after finishing work. Said men. on broken shifts and call-back duty, s a • be allowed five minutes each time for signing on or off intermediate shifts, and seven minutes after signing off for the ..lay The above does not apply to sign wig on or off for meal reliefs. Conductors shall sign on 10 minutes previous to taking on their oars and shall be allowed seven minutes when payi,r*r in box. Said men. on bfoken shifts and call-back duty, shall be allowed five minute* each time for signing on or off intermediate shifts The above docs not apply to signing on or off for meal Motormen and conductors after 12' months' continuous service, shall receive the following holidays on full ordinary pay:—Under three years service, 8 consecutive days; over three and under five 9 consecutive days; over live and under seven, 10 consecutive days; over seven years' service, 12 consecutive days. ( Ml other employees with over ome year .i continuous sen-vice, and working under this atrreement. shall reoaive eight consecutive days' holiday on full pay. Holidays shall rot l>o allowed to accumulate. Holidays shall be balloted for each year, but the right is reserved to the tramways manager to defer any holidays if he deems it necessxrv for the efficient working of the ser-

VICO. , .. Meal Reliefs. —1 ta manager shall arrange mcaf reliefs a-s asked for by the union, provided such meal Beliefs do not entail additional expense or interfere with t-lip working of the" service, the tunc of such reliefs to be deducted in the computation of the men's time. Permanent way men rot to be worked more than five hours without having at least 30 minutes meal relief. , Clothing.—All employees requiring to v.-eair uniform shall be supplied with same freo of cost. Boats for Motormen. —A seat shall bo provided for motormen for uso on each oir. Tho fc r >at shall be used subject to such reasonable regulations as the employer shall from time to time make ui writing in counoction therewith. Reports. —(a) Any employee reported by\ the public shall receive notification of any charge involving dismissal, suspension, or loss of standing within 48 hours after roceipt of the report by the department, and the inquiry shall bo commenced within 48 hours after the employee is notified, (b) All departmental reports to l>o in the hands of a departmental officer within two d iys of the alleged offence, and the employee concerned shall ho notified within 24 hours, and the inquiry shall be commenced within four daye after receipt of the report. If the charge against any employesl, is not substantiated, all time occupied by any employee personally reporting to an officer of the department when instriicted so to do to be paid for at full ordinary rates of pay. (c) In computing time with respect to above, clauses, Rundays and holidays to be excluded, (d) In caaes of seriouus accidents where men are. not relieved for tho purpose, 15 minutes

shall be allowed for making out No. 1 reports. (e) The union shall have the right to engage at Its own expense a shorthand writer to take a shorthand note of the proceedings at inquiries, as defined above, and which shall be signed by the employee concerned and the manager as correct.

Promotions.—All promotions of employees affected by this agreement shall be made from the employees at the timo of the vacancy occurring. In all cases capability, suitability, seniority, and record to be taken into consideration.

Preference. —After the coming into operation of this agreement all persons joining- tho service shall, within one month of their so joining, become members of tho union. If anv employee joining the service shall neglect to become a member of the union within the time specified he shall be dismissed. If any person who has already joined the union, or who shall, pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, join the union, shall voluntarily of his own motion resign from the union, ho shall be liablo to dismissal, and shall receive a notification from the- tramways manager that ho is so liable, and unless he rejoins tho union within one week from the date of tho notice he will bo dismissed.

Training Students.—Whilst training students, motormen shall be paid Is 6d extra per day, and conductors Is extra per day. The tramways manager to have the absolute right to choose men for training N duty. General.—Molormcn and conductors on duty shall be paid for the timo they are waitinc whilst traffic is suspended. Student conductors ehall be examined by a doctor before going on a car to train, expense to be borne by ths employers. T-tiii of Agreement.—This agreement shall be binding upon tho parties hereto for Q period commencing upon the Ist day of February. 1912, and continue in force until the 51st day of December, 1914.