TRAM STRIKE MAY BE SETTLED TODAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 June 1948, Page 3

TRAM STRIKE MAY BE SETTLED TODAY

(P.A) WELLINGTON, June 4. The tramways in Dunedin are expected to resume normal services tomorrow, after a meeting of the men at 10 a.m. tomorrow and ‘the appointment of a tribunal by the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan). Mr 'McLagan said that this morning he had made an-offer to both the City Council and the Tramway Employees’ Union to set up a tribunal to adjudicate on the matter immediately in dispute, but the offer had not been accepted by the. City Council. The executive of the Tramways’ Union had recommended .its men to accept a tribunal. The immediate point at issue between the tramway workers in Dunedin and the City Council was the question as to who should have custody of the small sum of money at stake, about £5O, until such time as a decision was given by the national tribunal which had been set up to determine the larger dispute regarding rates of pay, and. which would be sitting in Wellington on Wednesday, Mr McLagan said. The City Couhcil desired that such moneyshould be placed in the suspense account of the council, while the workers desired that the money should be paid over to the Department of Labour'and held by the department until the decision of the tribunal was available. > “A Trifling Difference” “It is ridiculous,” said Mr McLagan, “that the public of Dunedin should be without transport facilities because of a trifling difference of this nature. In view of the City Council’s refusal to accept my earlier offer of a tribunal, I feel that the only sensible course to take is to appoint a tribunal in accordance with powers conferred upon me as Minister of Labour in terms of the Strike and Lockout Emergency Regulations, and to require the attendance of a representative of both employers and workers. “The tribunal will deal merely with the question of temporary custody of the money at stake. It is expected that the transport services in Dunedin will resume normal running shortly after the meeting of the men, which is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. tomorrow.” Members of the tribunal are Mr E. J. Anderson, chairman of the transport committee of the Dunedin City Council. Mr P. A. Hansen, national secretary of the'Tramway Employees’ Union, with Mr W. Cadwallader, superintendent of the Department ol Labour and Employment at Dunedin, as chairman. Meeting of Union Today The belief that the transport services, which have been paralysed since 2 p.m. on Monday, will resume tomorrow morning is borne out by theinstruction given to tramwaymen rostered' for duty tomorrow to attend their meeting in uniform, and the permanent way staff to wear overalls, states a Press Association message from Dunedin. Buses should be able to take up running almost immediately trie drivers arc ready for duty, and it is not expected that there should be i any great delay in restoring the i.ram services, although a certain amount o< attention will have to be paid to the tracks before the normal service is in operation. Great activity took place m Dunedin today as attempts were made to bring to an end a strike that has caused the people of the city much inconvenience and hardship.