Railways may stop accepting freight

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 6

Railways may stop accepting freight

PA Wellington fhe Railways may refuse to accept freight within a day or two if there is no solution to a tradesmen's dispute.

Freight is beginning to pile up throughout New Zealand as the dispute drags on and freight services are cancelled.

Railway tradesmen have stopped repairing tank waggons, bulk carriers, and guard’s vans in an attempt to get their wage relativity problem solved. Repairs to Road Services coaches are also held up It is believed the tradesmen may step up their industrial action before the end of the week if there is no solution in sight. Eight freight-tram services out of Wellington and Auckland and two out of Christchurch were cancelled yesterday. The main problem centres on guard’s vans, which are in short supply. Freight trains must have a guard’s van, but these are held up in workshops because of the dispute. If the dispute continues for

more than two days, many train services in Canterbury will be cancelled. A spokesman in Christchurch said freight would pile up but' passenger services would be : the last to be affected by the ban. Coach services have not! yet been affected, but someof these could stop before the end of the week.

-I The argument centres on r I relativity between boiler- • makers and welders. Boiler--1 makers want an additional 6.9 c an hour awarded to • - welders by an independent arbitrator. The Government is conJcerned that this would flow - on to other tradesmen if it ■ was granted to the boilermakers.