DRIVERS’ AWARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19777, 3 November 1938, Page 8

DRIVERS’ AWARD

40-HOUR WEEK REFUSED

GENERAL WAGE INCREASE

DISSENTING OPINION

MR. CROSIvERV’S CRITICISM

(Per Prnss Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day

A general increase in wages of 5s a week, with smaller increases to juniors, is provided by the New Zealand motor and horse drivers’ award, which lias been issued by the Second Court of Arbitration.

The court decided unanimously to fix the hours as in the expired award. Regarding wages, the award stated the parties had the pronouncement of the court in the sugar workers’ dispute to guide them, said Mr. Justice Hunter. Namely, the court in that case had made a general increase of 5s a week in line with the increase the Court proposed generally to award to the adult weekly worker. “The court has been unable to see its way to agree to the 40-hour week for all drivers,” stated llis Honour, “because this industry is subsidiary to a large number of industries in some of which a longer week than 40 hours is worked and the services ol' drivers must be available during the whole of such longer week. The hours’ clause follows the principle of ‘following the house’ and those drivers, who at present work a lesser number of hours than 44 a week, will continue to do so.”

The employees' representative, Mr. A. W. Croskery dissented from the majority decision of the court in restricting the increase in wages to the 5s increase for weekly workers, as set out in the memorandum to the sugar workers’ award. ITe stated that a general 5s increase to the weekly workers, without giving any consideration to the hours of work, completely denied the workers’ right to maintain the relative position which they had been working under other awards. If the driver’s wages had been all assessed on the same relative consideration, which was adopted by Mr. Justice Fraser in 1924 and 1925, continued Mr. Croskery, the lowest paid driver to-day should receive a weekly wage of £5 2s 8d for his 44-hour week in order to maintain his relative posh lion with the labourer. Rates of Wages

The minimum wages fixed in part I of the award applying to workers, other than those engaged in goods transport services operating under the Transport Licensing Act are as follows:

Driving and attending one horse, £4 13s; two horses, £4 IGs; more than two, (id a day or 2s Gd a week for each additional horse.

Driving any motor vehicle up to two tons with load, including motorcycles and tricars, £4 IGs; two tons to four tons, £4 18s Gd; four to five and a half tons. £5 Is; five and a half to 10 tons. £5 ss: over 10 tons, £5 8s: tractors, not otherwise specified and used with trailers, £5; small motor vollers, £4 16s; motor driven implements used on construction, maintenance or formation work, 2s Gid an hour.

The wages for youths driving a horse range from £2 7s from 18 to 19 years, to £3 4s Gd from 20 to 21 years. On motor vehicles, they range from £2 12s Gd to £3 9s Gd.

For goods service drivers, the minimum weekly rates and overtime rates, according to the weight of the vehicle are as follows; Up lo one ton £4 18s 3d: one to two tons, £5 Is 3d; two to four and a half tons, £5 3s Gd; four and a half to six and a half tons, £5 7s 3d; over six and a half tons, £5 10s. For youths, the weekly rate ranges from £2 15s to £3 14s Gd and overtime from Is 8d to 2s 3d. The award will operate from October 31 last to October 31, 1939.