Bus drivers stay out

Press, 13 December 1985, Page 1

Bus drivers stay out

Christchurch buses will be off the road indefinitely, but the Governmeht has no immediate ’plans: to intervene in the dispute.

After a three-hour meeting yesterday, Christchurch bus drivers voted to stay out on strike indefinitely. Meetings in Dunedin, Invercargill, Wellington and New Plymouth have also voted to stay on strike. The employers’ advocate, Mr Graeme Small, has already said that the emSrs would rather see the off the road until Christmas than pay the $32 a week allowance wanted by drivers. The Acting Minister of Labour, Mr Burke, said yesterday that the Government bad no plans to intervene in the dispute at this stage. But should there be no sign of movement, further ef-

forts might be made to bring the parties together. He said the Government had already provided assistance to identify and examine the dispute. It was now the responsibility of the parties to return to discussions, and for the bus drivers to resume their normal work. Mr Burke seemed to rule out any possibility of stronger or punitive action. The Christchurch secretary of the Tramway Workers’ Union, Mr Charlie Gower, said the vote to continue the strike in Christchurch had been passed with a reduced majority compared with earlier meetings. He attributed this to the economic position of some drivers and to

a loss of motivation after a few days back at work. “We are settling in for a long struggle,” said Mr Gower.

Messages of support and some financial assistance had already been received, and the union was waiting for a policy statement from the Federation of Labour on further financial support. Mr Gower said union representatives would have to meet the Christchurch Transport Board to settle a number of local issues. These included the board’s new sick leave regulations and the abolition of cafeteria and scheduling committees. Mr Max Taylor, general manager of the Christchurch Transport Board,

said he had not heard of the decision of the meeting until approached by “The Press.” He said he could not comment on what action would be taken until he had discussed the matter with the other members of the Public Passenger Transport Association and his own board.

Mr Taylor said the hardline attitude of the employers was based on their rejection of the validity of the $32 a week demand. But there was also a matter of principle involved, he said. The board had always acted in accordance with the award and there was an established framework for negotiating pay and conditions of employment. The union demand amounted to second-tier bargaining, which was traditionally unknown in Statelinked local government

awards, he said. Te Ruru, president of the Christchurch branch of the Tramway Workers’ Union, said yesterday he had begun a hunger strike in support of his union's position. The hunger strike would not end until he felt he had made his point to the Transport Board.

He said that although he would only be drinking water, he was pleased with the amount of food that had already been given for distribution to union members.

In spite of the strike, bus drivers will still take elderly people to a preChristmas function at St Luke’s Church hail today. The union meeting yesterday confirmed that bus drivers would form car pools to provide transport for those affected by the strike.