Hopes For Early End To Drivers’ Dispute

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30841, 28 August 1965, Page 16

Hopes For Early End To Drivers’ Dispute

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 27. The Wellington area drivers’ pay dispute may end on Monday. The Secretary of Labour (Mr H. Parsonage) tonight put forward a proposal to employers and drivers which he hopes will lead to negotiations.

If negotiations are started, tracks will move in full force again on Monday.

An estimated 30,000 tons of goods has piled up in Wellington and Hutt Valley stores and warehouses. The stoppage has caused widespread disruption of business activities. In a telegram to the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand), the president of the Wellington Employers’ Association (Mr C. R. Clayton) tonight asked the Minister “to take steps urgently to restore normal transport conditions.” The association was backed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association and representatives of other trade and employers’ groups, which met today. The Wellington and Hutt master carriers have accepted

the proposal for negotiation. The Drivers’ Union has told Mr Parsonage it will consider his proposal and give him its decision tomorrow. The dispute arose from a strike by 42 drivers for the four Curtis group companies. ' They are supported by 1200 drivers of the Wellington Drivers’ Union under their secretary, Mr K. G.-Douglas. The drivers want award pay rates increased from 7s 9d an hour to 9s 3d for trucks and from 8s to 9s 6d for articulated vehicles. The employers have refused these claims, saying increases would amount to £3 a week in some cases. The secretary of the Wellington Drivers’ Union (Mr K. G. Douglas) today described as “ridiculous” a statement by the master carriers that the strike by 42 Curtis drivers had rendered I the industry inoperable. I Responsibility rested with

individual carriers, he said. Customers who were being inconvenienced should telegraph the complaints to the local licensing authority. Drivers were available to work and if employers did not wish to use their licences they should be withdrawn and issued to drivers who were prepared to operate and provide the requirements of the licence, he said.