CONCILIATION AGREEMENT DETAILS
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IVE are now able to announce details VV of the agreement which, as reported in last week's issue, has been reached between the employers' and employees' sections of the National Joint Conciliation Board. The agreement will come into force on January 1.
Although the guaranteeing of a 48hour week was hotly contested by the employers during the negotiations, this provision is made in the agreement. The period of 48 hours includes time occupied in garage duties, but excludes meal times.
On the completion of this period, overtime will be paid for at the rate of time-and-one-eighth for the first eight hours and thereafter on the basis of time-and-a-quarter. Time-and-a-half will be paid for all hours worked between Saturday midnight and Sunday, midnight, a minimum of four hours at this rate being guaranteed. The agreement includes provisinn for subsistence allowance and holidays.
At one time, it was rather doubtful whether the proposal to differentiate between the wages of drivers engaged on long-distance and trunk services and other classes of service would be carried through. Agreement has, however, been reached on this point and the following general minimum rates of wages will apply in England and Wales:— Long-distance and trunk services : drivers of vehicles under 2 tons, 60s. per week; 2 tons and up to a gross laden weight of 12 tons, 65s_; over 12 t.:-us and up to 22 tons, 70s. Statutory attendants and mates are to be paid not less than 56s. per week.
For services other than those included in this category, the rates of wages vary between 45s. and 62s. weekly, and for statutory attendantsfrom 30s. to 42s. 6d. weekly.
Special rates will apply in the London. area, although a claim by the unions for an increase in the following figures has not finally been settled :Vehicles under 1 ton, 54s. a week ; 1 ton, 58s. and 63s. ; over 1 ton and up to 2 tons pay-load capacity, 62s. and 63s.; over 2 tons and up to 5 tons, 68s. and 69s.; over 5 tons, 72s. and 73s. Statutory attendants and mates are to be paid a minimum of 57s. a week, and mates on steam wagons, 59s.
Under an interim arrangement concerning wages, which has been reached pending a final agreement on the grading of areas, employers in important industrial areas shall not pay lower wages than those set out for other industrial areas, and, in the latter districts, not less than those specified for rural areas. In the case of purely agricultural services, the Area Boards are authorized to permit the payment of wages not more than 10 per cent. below the proposed grade for rural areas. A minimum of 45s. weekly is stipulated,