N.U.R. on campaign

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 6

N.U.R. on campaign

The National Union of Railwaymen is mounting a campaign to win public supCort for the retention of the uffet car on the Southerner express passenger railway service. The campaign is in response to the announcement by the Railways Department last week that it proposes to replace the buffet service with a self-help coffee bar as part of a bid to curb losses. Christchurch officials of the N.U.R. were in Invercargill yesterday to meet union members and form plans to save the service. The national secretary of the union. Mr D. Goodfellow, said from Wellington that the department was asked this week to reveal how many

jobs would be lost, but its management had said it did no know. “There will be no more talks with them about the proposals until they come up with a clear idea of what they are intending to do,” said Mr Goodfellow. Circulars being distributed by the South Island branches of the union call on the public to express its opposition to the proposals to the Railways management and to members of Parliament. The union says that a long term result of the downgrading of the service would be less patronage, followed by claims of lack of economy “and then complete closure of these prestige passenger, services.”