New Conciliation Agreement Drafted
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AREVISED agreement concerning the wages and working conditions of operatives in the furniture-removal industry has been drafted by the Joint Industrial Council and was presented to members of the F.W.R.A. at their annual conference, at Chester, yesterday.
As already reported in The Commercial Motor, the Council has agreed to accept the award concerning wages contained in the National Joint Conciliation Board's report, but the question of working conditions is still under consideration. The wages and conditions affecting drivers and statutory attendants are, moreover, different from those applying to other classes of removal operative, and this subject is likely to be under review for some time.
The revised agreement contains a " higher-rating " clause and provides for a guaranteeed 48-hour week, with overtime payment at the rate of time-and-an-eighth for the first eight hours after 45, and at time-and-a-quarter thereafter. The provisions affecting casual men are the same as framed in connection with the national agreement.
So far as Sunday duty is concerned, it is provided that, when men are working on that day, they shall be paid at the rate of time-and-a-half for a minimum of four hours. When not working en Sunday, but away from home, they shall receive ordinary rates. The subsistence allowance is 55. per night away from home.
The general provisions concerning subsistence allowance provide for the payment of 5s. for a period not exceeding 12 hours, 7s. 6d. exceeding 12 hours, and 1_0s. exceeding 15 hours. Employers-who wish to do so may continue the existing subsistence terms, namely, 4s. a night and 2s. a. day extra when away from home. The usual holidays with pay are stipulated.
If time permitted, the views of delegates to the Council on the relations between employers and employees were to be expressed at the conference, yesterday, followed by a general discussion.