Ban on T.N.L. ‘isolating Nelson’

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 3

Ban on T.N.L. ‘isolating Nelson’

The cost of the black ban imposed on the T.N.L. group by the National Union of Railwaymen yesterday has been described as “incredible,” and its effect as “isolating the whole Nelson area.” These were the words of the Railways Department’s assistant district traffic officer in Christchurch (Mr D. J. Bradley) when asked for his reaction to the ban imposed at a stop-work meeting of 800 union members yesterday. However, Mr Bradley' said that the ban would be discussed at a meeting of the union and departmental officers this morning, when the implications would be pointed out to the union. The union imposed the ban in protest against the chartering by the department last Friday of a Newmans bus to ferry passengers from Picton when the railway line was blocked. Newmans Coach Lines is a part of the T.N.L. group, which specialises in transport business north from Christchurch. “We are most disappointed about the action and want the matter rectified as soon as possible,” said Mr Bradley. The union imposed the ban because it considers that railwaymen should have been used to ferry the stranded passengers, in Railways Road Services buses. The managing director of Newmans (Mr G. K. Chapman) said that his company ran over the route, not Railways Road Services. “It is our licence route, and when

the train is not running, we normally carry the passengers,” said Mr Chapman.

“New Zealand Railways Road Services does not have licences to run over that route on schedule services. On Friday, it did not have a coach in the right place at the right time and we supplied a coach to run people to Christchurch. I think that is what they are going mad about,” he said. Newmans had not gone to Picton “on spec” to pick up passengers. A coach had been chartered by the Railways to take the passengers. “Road Services got temporary licences for Saturday and Sunday and ran its own coaches, and so they are complaining only about one coach which the Railways chartered to get the people moved,” said Mr Chapman. “Our attitude is that this is a problem that must be resolved between the Railways management and their employees. We are the unfortunate bystander,” said Mr P. H. N. Ammundsen, general manager of freighting for the T.N.L. group.

The group’s area manager in Christchurch (Mr A. G. Williams) said it was unfortunate that a company such as T.N.L. which had been a great supporter of the Railways over the years should become a pawn between the union and the department’s management.. The ban affected the West Coast as well as Nelson and Blenheim, and originally included services south from Christchurch until these were restored by the union.

Perishable goods were not affected because the company has a road licence to carry them. Mr Williams said the company would not even consider breaking the licencing laws to overcome the ban and hoped that no “fly-by-night” transport firms would take over work normally done by the T.N.L. group. The Canterbury branch secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen (Mr B. T. Foley) said the Railways Department had assured him last Thursday that Railways buses would be used to take passengers from Picton while the track was blocked. The union had not been consulted when the arrangement was changed and the work given to Newmans. Mr Foley said that the black ban against T.N.L. had been decided on in preference to a strike, which would have disrupted the public use of the railways. The union had no wish to deprive the people of Marlborough, and oxygen cylinders bound for Nelson Hospital had been exempted from the ban.

The union saw the dispute as part of a fight to preserve work in the railways. “Unless we stand on our own feet and fight, the railways will be phased out in the next 10 years,” he said. Mr Foley said that union members in Blenheim were supporting the black ban and the matter would be discussed at a meeting of the Canterbury Trades Council tomorrow.

The ban could be lifted after this morning’s meeting, if the Railways Department came up with “satisfactory conditions” to preserve work, he said. He could not say what “satisfactory conditions” were until discussions on the issue with the Railways. Mr Foley also said that if the dispute was not resolved today, it could blow- into a national issue.