NEW AGREEMENT REACHED

Southland Times, Issue 22962, 7 August 1936, Page 12

NEW AGREEMENT REACHED

MOTOR AND HORSE DRIVERS WAGES AND HOURS OF WORK (United Press Association.) Christchurch, August G. With the exception of drivers employed by local bodies, an almost complete settlement has been reached in the Dominion motor and horse drivers’ dispute. A full agreement was reached on important points of wages, hours of work, overtime rates and holidays. A further meeting of the Conciliation Council will be held in Wellington shortly with a view to making a separate award for drivers employed, by local bodies. No settlement was reached as far as local body employees were concerned, and this dispute will be reopened at a meeting in Wellington on September 4. For city and suburban drivers an agreement was reached for a 44-hour week, spread over six days, with not more than nine hours in any one day. The wages operating at March 31, 1931, were agreed to, these being as follows: One-horse drivers, £4 8/- a week; two-horse drivers, £4 11/-; drivers of motor vehicles of a combined weight of vehicle and load not exceeding two tons, £4 11/-; two to four tons, £4 13/6; four to five tons and a-half, £4 16/-; five tons and a-half to ten tons, £5; over 10 tons, £5 3/-. Drivers of tractors, £4 15/. Overtime payments were fixed at time and a half where the overtime is worked outside the daily or weekly hours, except that double time shall be paid for work between midnight and 6 a.m. Holidays were agreed upon as granted in 1931, with the addition bf one week’s annual holiday on full pay. Road Transport Drivers.

The hours of work for road transport drivers were fixed at 88 for a fortnight, the daily hours and daily span of hours to be limited in accordance with the number prescribed in the licence of the goods operator. Wages were fixed as follows: Motor vehicles up to one ton of combined weight, £4 13/- per week; one to two tons, £4 16/-; two tons to four tons and a half, £4 18/6; four tons and a half to six tons and a half, £5 2/-; over six tons and a half, £5 5/-. Flat rates of overtime were agreed to as follows: 2/10 an hour for trucks up to two tons; 2/11 for trucks from tjvo tons to four tons and a half; 3/- for trucks over four tons and a-half. In lieu of the statutory holidays these workers were granted 12 days’ holiday on full pay in each year. It was also agreed that as far as possible they should be granted as holidays: Anzac Day, Good Friday, and Christinas Day, or three other days to be substituted for them.

It was agreed that the hours of work provision should operate from September 1, and the other provisions from August 21. In those districts where no award is at present in force, a 48-hour week is to operate until September 1.