’5l strike recalled as effects of rail stoppage spread

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 1

’5l strike recalled as effects of rail stoppage spread

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

A strong feeling exists in Government circles that the present railway stoppage should not be allowed to end merely because of the amount of inconvenience it is causing the public.

It is felt that railwaymen are making illegal use of a strike weapon which was designed only to exert pressure for the improvement of wages and conditions. The present stoppage came about simply because of a Railways management decision to replace an under-patronised suburban Sunday train with a more economical bus service. “Ostensibly that is what it is all about,” a high authority said yesterday. “The leaders in direct acttion assert that our figures are wrong but their direct action precludes them from proving their statement. If they have other figures, why don't they accept a conference and produce them?”

Meanwhile, there is a growing feeling that the latest union attempt to “sock the public” has been taken on an issue which will not stand up to scrutiny. Furthermore, the inconvenience is being extended to include the movement of al! interisland rail freight, with threats to go even further.

The dispute has brought to a standstill all longdistance and suburban pas-

senger and freight train services out of Wellington and also the Cook Strait rail ferries. The Aramoana made one crossing from Picton at 10 a.m. yesterday with 50 passengers but carried no freight.

A ban on accepting North Island freight was imposed in Christchurch at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Railways officials said that the ferry stoppage was aggravating an already congested inter-island freight situation. For the last six weeks, rail-waggon space had been given over to unbooked passenger vehicles and the stoppage had left sidings from Picton to Christchurch crammed with freight waiting to cross Cook Strait. The southern regional manager of N.A.C. (Mr K. E. Costello) said that the strike had not caused any extra demand fo’ - seats on Christchurch - Wellington flights.

However, flights from the North Island to the South Island were heavily loaded with passengers ail dav.

Unbooked passengers wanting to leave for Blen-

enced some delays but there was no backlog by late afternoon.

heim and Nelson experiIn the North Island, 3000 tonnes of Wellingtonbound freight and the Endeavour passenger train were stranded at Palmerston North. South-bound trains from Auckland were cancelled to prevent the build-up becoming greater.

The Government is watching the build-up of trouble and rememb -ring the pattern of the 1951 waterfront strike. Legisla tion exists to bring about deregistration of offending unions and there is more than a little feeling that the time for intervention on the Holland plan is close.

The Minister of Railways (Mr McLachlan) said yesterday that he was amazed that the stoppage had arisen over the relatively simple question of ensuring the best and most efficient use of pub-lic-transport equipment. The facts clearly showed the good sense in adjusting the Sunday Johnsonville suburban train services.

“The old rail service on a Sunday was scheduled as 22 services from John-

sonville to Wellington and 21 services from Wellington to Johnsonville,” said Mr McLachlan. “Each of these services was provided by a 128-seat multiple 1 unit. “The over-all average patronage in both directions, summer and winter, was only 23 passengers. “On the Johnsonville to Wellington Sunday run, the winter average has been 19 passengers and in the summer the average patronage in this direction has been 22 passengers. “This gives an over-all average on the Johnsonville to Wellington run of only 21 passengers. “The over-all average patronage in the direction Wellington-Johnsonville on Sundays is not much better at 24 passengers. “On these services, the winter average has been 21, with a summer a’erase patronage of only 26 passengers. “These calculations are based on surveys of typical services in summer and winter and clearly show the very low patronage on this line on Sundays.”

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