Drivers May Seek Margin

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32295, 13 May 1970, Page 1

Drivers May Seek Margin

(By the Industrial Reporter of “The Press")

Whatever the outcome of' the national ballot, it now seems certain that Christchurch bus drivers will not settle for the $1.13 an hour offered by the Public Passenger Transport Association.

In common with municipal bus drivers in Wellington, New Plymouth, Dunedin and Invercargill, Christchurch Transport Board drivers voted yesterday on: whether to accept the offer. The ballot papers were not counted locally but dispatched immediately to Wellington for counting as part of the national poll. Nearly 300 union members attended the Christchurch stop-work meeting, which began at 9.4 S a.m. and ended just after noon. They were told by their branch president and representative on the fiveman national executive (Mr F. Langrish) that the national executive recommended they give the offer favourable consideration. Nevertheless, the offer was thoroughly debated, and Mr Langrish was asked if Wellington drivers would, like those in Auckland, receive, a 5c margin for difficult driving conditions. He replied that he did not know. From subsequent comment it appeared that Christchurch drivers are determined not to accept a lower over-all rate than that received in either Auckland or Wellington. If Wellington settles without the margin, Christchurch: drivers will still strive to get : Auckland's rate of $1.15. If. as seems much more likely, j Wellington goes on to an over-all $l.lB, Christchurch will seek to match that rate. The secretary of the Christ-: church branch of the Tram-, way Workers’ Union (Mr N.j Gray) said last evening that he had been unable to form an opinion on how the Christchurch voting had gone. One. thing was certain, however:, “the pressure was really on: to get a driving margin." Mr Gray said that he did not believe the Christchurch members would settle for less than the Wellington members.

The union's national secretary (Mr P. A. Hansen) said that the possibility of stoppages similar to the 72-hour protest last month would depend on the outcome of the ballot, according to a Press Association message.