Silver Ferns not running

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 6

Silver Ferns not running

PA Wellington The Silver Fern railcars will, not run between Wellington and Auckland today because of the dispute over a guard who was taken off duties on long-distance trains.

The General Manager of Railways, Mr T. M. Hayward, has referred the dispute file to the Chief Ombudsman, Mr G. R. Laking — a move which is not supported by the National Union of Railwaymen.

Further talks are set down for today, but last evening neither party was predicting an early settlement. Mr Hayward ' said last evening that “good railwaymen were taking over from union troublemakers.”

Some trains had been running out of Wellington at the week-end in spite of a union directive that they should not, he said.

Mr Hayward said Road Services bus drivers had agreed to carry train passengers affected by the cancellation of the railcars. The union has ordered an overtime ban in support of the guard at the centre of the. dispute, which goes back to April 14 when the guard

and passengers argued on a - Silver Fern service. The N.U.R. president, Mr George Finlayson, said that, if the General Manager of Railways pursued drunken and abusive passengers as doggedly and vociferously as he had pursued the guard at

the centre of the dispute, he could reasonably expect a warm response from his employees whch would no doubt be reflected in their attitude. Railway workers had for too long been the whipping boy for both the public and management, Mr Finlayson said.