Bus Drivers May Strike Tonight

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 1

Bus Drivers May Strike Tonight

(By Our industrial Reporter) As things stood last evening, Christchurch Transport Board bus drivers will go on strike indefinitely from midnight tonight. It is possible, however, that developments today may change the drivers’ decision.

Yesterday the executive of the Christchurch Tramway Work e r s’ Union met the board, told it that the 7c margin previously sought had been increased to 9.6 c, and said that unless the drivers were given this before the day was out they would strike from tonight.

The board had said it was sending its general manager (Mr J. F. Fardell) to Wellington for more information and had asked for more time, up till noon on Friday, to give a decision on the union request. This was refused. Mr Fardell went to 'Wellington yesterday to get full details of the settlement with Wellington bus drivers last week, and to obtain as much information as possible about future ruling rate increases and when they will be applied to the national award. The Christchurch Transport Board will meet again today to hear Mr Fardell’s report and to decide if it will make an offer to the union. According to information received in Christchurch last evening, the 4.6 c increase for Wellington drivers is for the period February 1 to May 6

; of this year, and will be abI sorbed by a national ruling rate survey to be announced ■ soon. ■ When the new increase is I announced the national award for municipal bus drivers will > be lifted by some 5c or more, > and will be back-dated to May .7. From that date, Weliing- ' ton’s margin above the 1 national award will drop from 9.6 c back to the 5c it has held for the last 15 years. In this situation the ChristI church Transport Board will i obviously not consider offer- : ing its drivers the 9.6 c asked i yesterday, and once the : union has confirmed the posii tion its request is sure to be ■ reduced. At the same time, however. : there is little or no prospect - of the claim for a margin ; being abandoned. The Christ- : church drivers made their 7c claim before the Wellington dispute and based it on : the 5c margin which was - being paid in Wellington and i is also paid in Auckland. N*.l. Margins The extra 2c was just for bargaining room and should be disposed of easily. Wellington’s long-standing 5c is based on the high cost of living in the capital. But Auckland’s 5c margin has only been paid for the last four months, and was granted when the drivers threatened to strike during the Royal visit The success of that direct bargaining in Auckland does not make the position of the Christchurch board any easier now, and unless some offer is made, further strike action appears inevitable. At the same time the union is un--1 likely to be offered more 1 than the 3c it rejected last 1 Sunday.