AGREEMENT FOR NEW AWARD

Southland Times, Issue 25796, 6 October 1945, Page 7

AGREEMENT FOR NEW AWARD

BUS AND SERVICE CAR DRIVERS

A new award for bus and service car drivers under the New Zealand Transport Drivers’ Award is to come into force on November 1. Full agreement on the provisions of a new award was reached at a Conciliation Council sitting. - In a note on the settlement reached, Mr F. C. Allerby, secretary of the union states:—“The union assessors put up a big fight to get a reduction in the daily hours and in the daily span of hours, but were unsuccessful. The present agreement means a big advancement to the majority of the workers under the award, and it. was on these grounds that the assessors agreed to a settlement rather than go the, Court of Arbitration with the dispute.” The agreement is in two sections, one relating to bus drivers and the other to service car drivers. Each section provides for a 40-hour week, Monday to Saturday inclusive. In the case of service car drivers it is provided that up to four additional hours may be worked in any one week at ordinary hourly rates of pay, and that in special cases, because of the exigencies of any particular business, the Prescribed weekly hours may be varied by agreement with the union. Failing agreement, the matter is to be referred to a disputes committee. The bus drivers’ section provides that one period of 24 consecutive hours off duty shall be allowed to each driver in each week on one of the days mentioned in sub clause A, that is, from Monday to Saturday. The clause providing for a day off for service car drivers reads: “One period of 24 consecutive hours off duty shall be allowed each driver in each week. This period may be a Sunday.” Wages for both bus and service car drivers are to be £6/1/8 for a 40-hour week. The rate for casual drivers has been increased to 3/6 an hour ordinary time, and 4/1 overtime. Among the clauses that apply to both bus and service car drivers is one providing that in lieu of statutory and annual holidays each worker shall be allowed a paid holiday of three consecutive weeks on completion of each nine months of service with the same employer. A worker employed for less than nine months shall be allowed a proportionate holiday on termination of his employment. AU time worked on Sundays is to be paid for at double the rates fixed for ordinary hours of work. Such time is not to be counted in the prescribed daily or weekly hours. Workers signed on on Sundays, are to receive a minimum of four hours’ pay. The new holiday clause increases the holidays by one week, as the holidays which are at present granted for 12 months’ service will, under the new award, be granted for nine months’ service. Sunday under the new award will count as a day outside the week and will not, as at present, be included in the week.