NEW TRAMWAY CONDITIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25308, 7 October 1947, Page 8

NEW TRAMWAY CONDITIONS

PROPOSED STOP WORK MEETING

CHRISTCHURCH BOARD’S ATTITUDE

“The board trusts that members of its staff will have some regard for their fellow-citizens of Christchurch before taking a step in a dispute that has nothing whatever to do with Christchurch,” said a statement by the Christchurch Tramway Board, issued after its meeting yesterday. The statement referred to a Press Association report from Wellington, published in “The Press” yesterday, that stop-work meetings of tramwaymen in all centres would be called if the Wellington City Council did not give an assurance by to-morrow evening that it would operate in full the decision of the National Tramways’ Industrial Tribunal. The validity of the decisions made by the chairman of the tribuhal (Mr A. B. Bigg) are to be tested by the Wellington'City Council, which proposes to go to the Supreme Court for a ruling on the legal authority for the decisions. The Christchurch Tramway Board discussed the matter in committee, and the statement issued later said that the board was concerned at the report that a stop-work meeting might be called this week. “It does not appear that there can be any dispute with this board,” the statement continued. “All the requirements of the special tribunal’s interim decision, havq been complied with. If the threatened stop-work meeting eventuates, it will cause great inconvenience to the public for no apparent • reason.”

SUPPORT FOR APPEAL

AUCKLAND BOARD’S DECISION (P.A.) AUCKLAND, October 6. While h£ did not wish to comment on the validity or otherwise of the « decision of the National Tramways Industrial Tribunal which issued the new national tramwaymen’s agreement, he would strenuously oppose any attempt to deny any organisation or person the fundamental British right of testing the judgment before a higher court, said the chairman (Mr W. H. Nagle) at a meeting of the Auckland Transport Board to-day. He was referring to a report from Wellington about projected stop-work meetings in all centres. * “You will notice that if the Wellington City Council does not commence with the full text of the tribunal decision and thereby abandon I the proposal to test its validity—mainly on grounds that it is still working under an existing award —a form of direct action will be taken in all seven centres of the Dominion,” said Mr Nagle. He was worried by the fact that there was going to be a definite attempt to prevent an appeal. That was taking the matter too far. No Government or any authority should be asked to take steps to prevent a lawful appeal from being made. “We must discountenance any attempt to take away the right of an individual or corporation to find out by legal means if any judgment is lawful or otherwise,” said Mr Nagle. The principle he was standing for had nothing to do with whether the decision was valid or not. The following motion was moved by Mr Nagle: “That the Auckland Transport Board supports the right pf the Wellington City Council to test by legal process the validity of the decision of the emergency disputes committee dated September 24, and • instructs its delegates to the Public Passenger Transport Association conference, which starts to-morrow, to give any assistance in their power to preserve the use of that right.” The motion was carried by five votes to fcur. ___________