Some railwaymen oppose ’Bok ban

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 3

Some railwaymen oppose ’Bok ban

Opposition is mounting from rank-and-file railwaymen against the decision of their union’s biennial conference that a ban be put on the transporting of the Springboks and their baggage when they tour New Zealand later ’his year. However, the president of the National Union of Railwaymen. Mr G. Finlayson >aid that the oppostion was coming from less than 4 pet :ent of the membership. Mr Finlayson said that the national office of the unior tad had “several bits of flak' :rom the membership bin would take action only if a

duly constituted branch made a request in accordance with! the union’s rules. Lower Hutt Railways Road Services bus drivers yesterday circulated a petition asking for a branch meeting to consider asking the union to retract the ban until union members had been fully consulted. A branch spokesman! told the Press Association j that 85 per cent of drivers] had signed the petition. ; Auckland Railways bus] drivers will ' write to the; union seeking a ballot, andj

until they get a vote they will not concur in the decision of the conference. Stratford railwaymen held a special meeting atwnded by 50 members, of whom 90 per cent favoured the Springbok tour. The meeting also passed a vote of noconfidence in the union’s: executive, according to the Press Association. . The secretary of the Cani'terbury branch,. = Mr B. T.' ‘Foley, -said that no-one .had (telephoned him to complain! isince the decision , was an-j inountecf last week. He said i that if members of the.branch, (wanted to object they could ido so£at the usual monthly 'meeting of the . branch next | month: '* yC"' Mr Finlayson said that? the decision of the biennial 'conference was a reaffirmation Of a ballot held in 1961. The ballot decision had been implemented “as required” since then. He-said that the union of-

ifice had had many calls frotr jmembers supporting the con ference decision. He said that the biennia; conference was the supreme decision-making body of the union. Remits ‘ were "receiver from the 58 branches anc delegates were told by then ■ branches how to ..vote. The question Of the bans on the Springboks was raised through a notice of-motion by (one of the 17 delegates at the conference, and had been supported unanimously. Mr Finlayson said that delegates were elected by secret postal ballot/ ■ It was -. .understandable that there would .fae various shades of‘opinion on the Springbok issueV'with a membership of 12,000 but the union was very democratic. “We have had problems before in Stratford. I often wonder about these Tory-held areas." he said.