Supplies hold in spite of T.N.L. ban

Press, 29 March 1979, Page 3

Supplies hold in spite of T.N.L. ban

Nelson reporter The goods-handling ban imposed on the Transport Nelson group’s vehicles by the Christchurch branch of the National Union of Railwaymen has not yet had much effect on supplies in Nelson. Another meeting between the union and the Railways Department will be held in Christchurch today. A meeting yesterday failed to resolve the dispute which arose from the use of a Newmans bus to carry railway passengers last Friday when slips blocked the main line to Picton. The ban on carting flour was lifted by “somebody,” according to a Transport Nelson spokesman yesterday. The flour, some from Christchurch and some already at Blenheim would be taken to Nelson, he said. A shortage of cans for the Apple and Pear Board’s fruit-juice factory at Stoke is not yet acute. A spokesman at the factory said yesterday that stocks were sufficient to last at least until the end of next week. If it seemed that the ban would not be withdrawn the factory would probably apply for licences to bring the cans to Nelson by road, he said.

The strike by drivers of refrigerated trucks, is causing a little more concern. The manager of one wholesaling firm said that if the trucks were not running by the end of next week his firm would have difficulty meeting retailers’ requirements. Frozen foods and icecream were the worst affected items, he said.