THE TRAMWAY DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20587, 1 July 1932, Page 13

THE TRAMWAY DISPUTE.

PROSPECT OF AMICABLE SETTLEMENT. PARTIES IN CONFERENCE. "The onion and the association have both met as in a conciliatory spirit, and while they maintain that spirit I should say that there is every prospect of a satisfactory settlement of the questions in dispute in the new agreement," said the chairman of the Christchurch Tramway Board (Mr E. H. Andrews) yesterday following a three hours' conference between a -sub-committee of the Bosyd and representatives of the Tramway Employees' Union. The Board will discuss the union's representations at its meeting next Monday, while the union men will in the meantime report the Board's attitude to their own body. Ultimately it is probable that the parties will again confer. Questions in Dispute. It is understood that the chief points at issue between the Board and the union are the payment for overtime, the retention of the clause giving union men preference in employment, the adoption of a form of rationing, and the length, of ifijlidaye. The Board's proposals for the employment of casual labour, which have been attacked by the union secretary (Mr E. Snow), were explained apparently to the satisfaction of the delegates to the conference. It seems likely that both the Board and the union will make some concessions so that ultimately the new agreement will be founded on conciliation. Since a large number of th&Board's employees have formed a separate group, the Tramway Traffic Employees' Association, and are negotiating separately with the Board, it is eertain that the preference clause in the existing agreement will be dropped when the new agreement is filed. The Third Group. A number of engineers and car-shed hands have formed a third group among the Board's employees, and their representatives will meet the sub-committee of the Board to-night. These men, however, are not concerned in the traffic employees' agreement, and are simply negotiating for an agreement outside their own unions. The sub-committee which is conducting the negotiations on behalf of the Board comprises Messrs E. H. Andrews (chairman), G. T. Booth, A. A. McLachlan, and W. Hayward.