Buses off for safety, say Mount Cook, Trans

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 1

Buses off for safety, say Mount Cook, Trans

Midland, Newman’s, Mount Cook, Trans Tours, and other private bus and coach companies will not run buses today as the result of the national drivers’ strike.

Drivers wanted to work today, said the managing director of the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company (Mr R. R. Ford), but the management had decided on Saturday afternoon to suspend services “for reasons of safety.”

He confirmed that threats had been received about possible damage to company vehicles, and the withdrawal of fuel supplies, if the private bus firms ran services.

This decision by the management contrasts with a statement published on Saturday in which the secretary of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union (Mr P. R. Liggett) said it was the drivers’ decision to cease work. “In fact,” said Mr Ford, “the president of the union (Mr D. Cunninghame) personally sought a dispensation for private bus drivers from the national headquarters of the union, but it was not granted.” A dispensation was, however, granted to Auckland private company bus drivers on the application of the secretary of the Northern Drivers Union (Mr G. H. Andersen). Mr Ford said a decision would be made today about whether the private company drivers will be paid for today, even though they were not working, In the sense that services

were curtailed by management directive, it could be construed as a lockout, according to one observer. A press release issued by Trans Tours (N.Z.), Ltd, said: “The drivers, while challenging the legality of the strike, have reluctantly agreed not to' drive. The paramount reason for this is to ensure the safety and welfare of many hundreds of passengers who might become innocently involved in a confrontation of which they had no part. “Operators have reluctantly decided to cancel services in certain areas, and steps have been taken to avoid confrontations on tours and remaining services.”

Public bus services, such as the Christchurch Transport Board and New Zealand Railways Road Services, will not be affected by the strike, as their drivers are under different awards, and are members of different unions. The private bus drivers are also under separate awards, but are still members of the Drivers’ Union.

In Timaru, however, there will be no council bus service. The national strike means that all trucks not owner-operated will also be off the roads until midnight tonight. Beer and bread deliveries are not expected to be much affected because most tankers are now owner-operated, and ambulances will maintain normal services.

Airport bus services in many centres, but not

Christchurch, will be cancelled. Householders in Christchurch City and Waimairi County who have Monday rubbish day will have to keep their bags for another week, until the next regular collection. In Lyttelton and Riccarton boroughs, and Paparua and Heathcote counties, however, rubbish normally collected today will be picked up tomorrow, assuming the drivers are back at work. The Paparua tip, in Carrs Road, and the city’s Bexley tip will be closed today as will the Heathcote tip. A spokesman for Waimairi County said yesterday he “hoped” the

county’s Sawyers Arms Road tip would stay open today. The strike is expected to affect about 300 workers at the N.C.F. Kaiapoi freezing works, because it will not be possible to cart offal to another works for processing. Other works say they have enough stock on hand to continue normal work. However, freezing workers have promised to black stock arriving for slaughter unless it is delivered in vehicles driven by owners of the stock, or by ownerdrivers. Southland drivers will hold a 48-hour strike, and the Gore stock sale has been cancelled.