Threat To Halt Trains Withheld

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30717, 5 April 1965, Page 1

Threat To Halt Trains Withheld

The Canterbury branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has accepted an offer by the Railways Department to send the branch secretary’ (Mr G. Finlayson) and

chairman (Mr T. Sweeney) to Wellington tomorrow to discuss a dispute which threatened to halt all trains on the Christchurch-Lyttelton line from midnight last night.

A Christchurch member of the society’s council, Mr D. M. Kane, will also attend the discussions. The branch accepted the department’s offer at a meeting yesterday and later advised the District Traffic Manger of Railways (Mr M. R. Leineweber) that the proposal to stop trains had been withdrawn. Mr Leineweber said that the A.S.R.S. was asking for an inquiry into disciplinary action taken by the department against an A.S.R.S. member. He was told that if the request was refused, no trains would run on the port line after midnight. Mr Finlayson said that the dispute arose from the alleged victimisation of a

member. The meeting yesterday fully approved the executive’s action and considered the department’s “late offer" for further negotiations. “In accordance with accepted practice, normal work will be carried out during negotiations,” he said.

“COWARDLY and grossly unjust,” is how the president of the Public Service Association (Mr W. E. B. Tucker) described the Government’s proposal to. increase State house rentals. Taxpayers would not be saved one penny if rentals are increased, he told a combined meeting of New Zealand Electricity Department employees at Whakamaru on Saturday.— (P.A.)