DRIVERS OF SERVICE CARS

Southland Times, Issue 23306, 16 September 1937, Page 6

DRIVERS OF SERVICE CARS

APPLICATION FOR NEW AWARD WELLINGTON, September 15. The hearing of the dispute between the New Zealand Federated Drivers’ and Related Trades Industrial Association of Workers and the proprietors of omnibuses and service cars and the application for a new Dominion award was resumed today in the Conciliation Council at Wellington. Mr M. J. Reardon, the Conciliation Commissioner, presided. The council met on July 21, 22 and 23 and adjourned without any agreement on the vital questions such as hours and wages. The present award is in two parts, dealing with omnibus drivers and service car drivers. The former have an 84-hour fortnight and the latter an 88. The employers had offered £5 5/weekly for bus drivers, an increase of five per cent on the present wages, provided an 88-hour fortnight was obtained. The employees sought £5 12/6 for service car drivers which the employers were not prepared to concede, offering £5 5/- for an 88-hour fortnight. The whole day was spent discussing hours and wages. The employees, discussing service car drivers, said they were prepared to agree to the present hours, with modifications, provided the employers agreed

to the wage of £5 12/6. The modifications were that in one week there should be two consecutive days off and in the other week one day off. Discussion of this offer will be resumed tomorrow morning. Questions relating to the wages and hours of bus drivers will also be considered tomorrow morning. Agreement was reached on machinery clauses.