BUS DRIVERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1945, Page 6

BUS DRIVERS

DECISION TO STAN

TRANSPORT HOLD-UP

Auckland bus services will be shut off completely from 6.30 to-night, and it is not expected that they will resume before Saturday.

This position results from the adherence by city bus drivers to a decision made by their executive committee yesterday afternoon following consultation with the actingMinister of Labour, Mr. O'Brien.

' Yesterday's deputation to the Minister informed him that it was considered the tribunal which he had set up to discuss matters in dispute between the drivers and their employers should sit immediately. It was also felt that a decision could better be obtained from a chairman well versed in industrial disputes.

The secretary of the Auckland Drivers' Union, Mr. L. G. Matthews, said later that Mr. O'Brien had given an assurance that he would take steps towards meeting the men's requests. The union had suggested to the employers that they appoint three other representatives to sit'on the tribunal but this had been refused. A suggestion by Mr. A.S. Bailey, on behalf of the employers, that the union's representatives should go to Wellington, thus enabling the tribunal to sit there, was not acceptable to the men as-it-was-felt that necessary documents would not be so readily available.

Chairman Appointed Mr. Matthews said this afternoon that the Minister had informed the union that the chairman of the tribunal would be Mr. J. A. Gilmour,

industrial" magistrate. Mr. O'Brien had intimated his intention of sending Mr. Gilmour to Auckland immediately the parties were ready to meet. "The union has informed the Minister," said Mr. Matthews, "of its desire to meet the employers' representatives as early as possible and has asked that provision be made for Mr. Gilmour.'-to be in Auckland to-morrow. Following the receipt of information regarding Mr. Gilmour's appointment an endeavour was made by the union, through the Department of Labour, to arrange for the parties to meej to-morrow, but so far no progress in that direction has ♦ been made.

"Other Unionists Co-operate"

"It naturally follows that, m accordance with the resolution carried unanimously by the workers' committee yesterday, buses will: cease to operate-' after 6.30 to-night, ; and will remain idle until the tribunal meets;* , continued Mr. Matthews.

"In anticipation of the .omnibus owners endeavouring to operate their services, the union has.taken steps to close off this avenue of action and has been successful in obtaining the co-dperation of. those trade unionists directly concerned in the operation of omnibus transport.

"Representations have been made to the-union by industrial concerns desiring to utilise trucks for the purpose, of: conveying -their employees to -anti from work," said Mr. Matthews. "These representations have not been acceded to and drivers of trucks who are members of the union have been instructed to refrain from „ carrying passengers normally carried by bus transport."

Since two of the employers' representatives—Messrs. Bailey and T. H. Bonnett—were absent in Wellington, the union's suggestion that two other representatives to the tribunal be appointed was still open, said Mr. Matthews. The only hope for averting the strike lay in these alternative . appointments being made so that the tribunal could meet on Mr. Gilmour's arrival in Auckland!

A meeting of all omnibus drivers would be held in the Trades Hall at 10.30 to-morrow morning, added Mr.' Matthews.

Proprietors' Views

A statement on the proprietors' attitude was made this afternoon-by Mr. N. B. Spencer, the third" representative of the' employers on the proposed tribunal. . "The Omnibus Proprietors' Association agreed to the tribunal as asked for by the men - and agreed to leave the appointment of, a chairman in the Minister's hands," he said. "The Minister has appointed the union's own nominee as chairman and see.ing that it has got everything it asked for a-strike will not help its members or anybody else but .will seriously inconvenience the public. . j?« ■■ •''

"Two of the three members appointed by the Minister represent the employers' are at present in Wellington attending a conciliation council called by the Arbitration Court for the purpose of making a new drivers' award for the rest of the Dominion and will be back in Auckland on Saturday morning, when the tribunal could commence its sittings. ■' '■■ '■.. .'' .. . /:

"The main alteration to the existing award asked for by the drivers concerns: : -r dally hours," said Mr. Spencer. "In view of the fact that the drivers have worked for many years under the present or longer hours—in fact, ever since there have been motor omnibuses in Auckland —rvtwo -or three days delay in -the sitting of the committee can do no harm and is ho justification for causing. the the serious inconvenifinearf>f. a ,sjtrike-" ■-• Mr. Sp&ncer added that there were no members~of the 'association: other tiianj himself and* Messrs. Bailey and B'onnett, who were sufficiently in touch with the to sit* on the tribunal.-