Split shows as drivers end strike for talks

Press, 9 May 1978, Page 1

Split shows as drivers end strike for talks

A 24-hour strike by drivers throughout New Zealand ended at midnight last night. Informal talks between the Drivers’ Federation and the three employer groups will resume this morning.

The strike had minimal effects: exemptions were granted for emergency services and several food and drink manufacturers were not affected because their drivers are van salesmen who are members of the Storemen and Packers’ Union. Owner-drivers were also kept busy. Probably the biggest effect was the disruption to school-holiday travel, although most people had made alternative arrangements because of ample notice of the strike. At Timaru, striking drivers picketed Shell Oil’s depot as the company’s four drivers defied the stoppage and took their tankers on the road, reports the Press Association.

At one stage, the striking drivers surrounded a truck, shouted abuse, and hammered their fists on the side of the vehicle. The picketers stood across the gateway but then let

the vehicles through. All drivers of the three other oil companies in Timaru joined the strike. In Christchurch, Trans Tours offered its drivers work yesterday and most of them accepted, according to a spokesman for the company.

But they did not take their coaches on to the road. Instead they did maintenance work., They and drivers on tour will be paid for the day. The company spokesman said that itineraries had been rearranged for the 613 passengers travelling on the company’s coaches sp that they spent yesterday at a place of interest using up one of their free days. Most of the travellers were overseas tourists. Midland coaches were off the road which meant that mail and freight were not delivered and com-

muters from outlying areas of Christchurch and rural districts had to find alternative transport to work. A spokesman for the Mount Cook Group said that disruption to its services was minimal. One or two itineraries had been rearranged. The group’s coaches were not in service yesterday.

The Waimairi County dump was the only Christchurch rubbish dump open yesterday. Householders whose rubbish is usually collected on Mondays will have to put their rubbish out today if they live in Lyttelton, Riccarton, Paparua County, or Heathcote County and next Monday if they live in Christchurch City or Waimairi County. Newman’s coaches did not run from Christchurch but Nelson drivers turned up at their depot yester-

day morning and took passengers to Christchurch, Greymouth, Takaka, and Picton on scheduled services.

The Suburban Bus Company of Nelson also ran its services after five of its drivers turned up for work. Coach drivers in Nelson were apparently under the impression that they were exempted from the strike, although four drivers employed by the Suburban Bus Company did stay away.

In Auckland, many trucks were on the roads but most sepmed to be owner-driven.