Transport Dispute In Auckland Ends

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31029, 7 April 1966, Page 3

Transport Dispute In Auckland Ends

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 6. An eight-day old dispute which threatened to cripple the commercial transport industry in Auckland has been settled.

The parties in the dispute —the Northern Drivers’ Union, the Contractors’ Federation and the Auckland Master Carriers’ Association —agreed this morning: that all drivers involved in the dispute return to work immediately and that overtime be resumed: that all men given notice for refusing overtime be reinstated; and that talks be held as soon as possible after Easter to negotiate new wage rates. The Federation of Labour, which was asked today to intervene in the dispute paved the way for the settlement. Mr J. Knox, an executive member of the F.O L., said the drivers were unanimous

in their decision to resume work under the conditions of agreement reached with the employers. He said he hoped to be able to meet the employers immediately after the Easter holidays to discuss the wages issue. He described the stopwork meeting as orderly. With more than 2000 trucks off the road during the stopwork, driving in the inner city area was more relaxing than usual and motorists had no difficulties in finding parking lots, which are normally blocked by delivery trucks. The stoppage also resulted in road construction jobs coming to a standstill.