‘Little public comment’ on bus-drivers’ strike

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 9

‘Little public comment’ on bus-drivers’ strike

The renewal of the bus strike had attracted little comment from the public, said Mr Max Taylor, general manager of the Christchurch Transport Board. The board received only 12 telephone calls about the strike yesterday morning, and all the callers expressed support for the board’s stand, he said.

He said the strike would be having a serious effect, especially among the elderly. But, he added, “It may be that most people can do without the buses. One can’t help wondering how necessary we are when there is so little negative comment.”

Mr Taylor said that a telephone conference of the employing authorities yesterday had decided that no response would be made to the strike. This position would be reviewed again on Tuesday, he said. Mr Henry Stubbs, national secretary of the Tramways Union, said the strike would not be prolonged into January when bus services were traditionally light. “Come Christmas Eve, if the matter has not been resolved we will be returning to work,” he said. Mr Stubbs said there were no plans for another formal meeting with the employers at present. The employers knew what

needed to be done to end the dispute, and much would depend on whether they had the will to do it, he said. A woman with two small children stormed out of a union meeting at the Trade Union Centre this morning. The woman had earlier spoken to the meeting about the problems the strike was causing her family, and the situation had “got to her,” said another bus-driver. Other drivers spilled out of the meeting to urge the woman to stay and “remember her principles.” But the woman said that she knew her principles. “I’m going to get 50 women to stand outside until the bus-drivers go back,”

she said. Mr Charlie Gower, secretary of the Christchurch branch of the Tramway Workers’ Union, said the woman who left the meeting had his sympathy. A spouses’ support group was being set up because the spouses and families always bore an unfair burden in any strike, he said. Mr Gower also said that union members would not go hungry over Christmas, but there could be few presents this year. Welfare measures for the 385 strikers and their families included setting up a food pool, distributing food vouchers, and paying urgent bills.