Tramway Dispute In Dunedin

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 May 1948, Page 6

Tramway Dispute In Dunedin

WAGES OF ACTING DRIVERS. (P.A.) Dunedin, May 26. Two shift meetings of the Dunedin branch of the N.Z. Tramways Union decided unanimously this afternoon to seek an assurance from the engineer-manager of the city transport department (Mr. L. C. Greig) by 2 p.m. tomorrow that 63 men who normally perform the duties of acting drivers in each of the branches of the service will be paid drivers’ wages for the whole of their working time. This undertaking is required by the union to operate until such time as a decision is given by a competent independent authority on the question in dispute. Two further shift meetings of the union are to be held tomorrow and unless the required assurance is given by the department a secret ballot will be held among the 63 drivers to decide whether they will accept acting drivers’ work in future. A resolution will also be put to shift meetings that acting drivers should be supported by other members of the union in whatever action they wish to take to protect themselves in the event of any alleged victimisation.

The clause on which the union bases its claim states: “The driver of a tramcar shall be deemed to be appointed when he first acts as such in traffic, and from that time on he shall be paid at a driver’s rate of pay, except in the case of reduction in the number required, when he shall go back to his former rates of pay.”

J The clause on which the department has based its action states: [ “Any worker required to perform other than his normal duties shall receive the rate of pay for the higher grade of work when so employed, irrespective of whether the higher rate is paid for his normal employment or for the work on which he is temporarily employed. In no case shall the additional pay be for a lesser amount than the equivalent of one hour for the higher rate.”