MANY DRIVERS ARE “UNHAPPY ABOUT DECISION”

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 June 1950, Page 3

MANY DRIVERS ARE “UNHAPPY ABOUT DECISION”

AUCKLAND, June 23 (P.A.).— Signs that many members of the Drivers’ Union were not in favour of stopping work on Wednesday appeared today. The Mayor (Sir John Allum) received representations from a section asking what degree of public support would be received if private buses were manned in spite of the union resolution to strike in a one-day protest against the removal of subsidies and the subsequent increase in the cost of living. Transport company representatives reported that many drivers were unhappy about the union’s decision. They stated that only 60 of a union membership of 3500 attended the meeting which decided on a strike. Of these, 34 decided to stop work on Wednesday. The union organiser (Mr F. D. Muller) said these figures were entirely inaccurate, but he refused to comment further. “Utter Childishness”

“Representations have been made to me which indicate that if they felt they would have the support of the general public, jnany drivers would work on Wednesday next/ said Sir John Allum. “I have expressed the opinion that there is no doubt about public support for such an action, because so far as I can ascertain, it is the general opinion that the proposed stoppage is an exhibition of utter childishness, of which only a remarkably few people approve.” “If a free vote was held on the issue among the drivers present, a resolution would certainly be swamped,” said one company representative in a press statement. The union stated that union bus drivers would complete their runs on their last trip on Tuesday night and resume on the first trip on Thursday morning. St John Ambulance drivers and drivers employed by the Auckland and Green Lane Hospitals had been exempted from the union resolution.

Appeal To Motorists Joining the Mayor of Auckland in his appeal, the Mayor of Takapuna (Mr J. Guiniven) called on the generosity of owners of private cars to assist in carrying Takapuna workers to and from the ferry terminals on Wednesday. Some of the large transport companies have considered running skeleton services with buses driven by inspectors and other officials, but they have decided to lay all buses up for the day. It was felt that the few available buses would make no impression on the demand and that it was inadvisable to run them., Representations have already been made by a number of organisations to Cabinet Ministers, but so far no comment has been available from Wellington. It is understood that the Labour Department has interested it-' self in the stoppage. Attendance in many schools on routes served by privately-owned buses will be small on Wednesday.. Several thousand children in North Shore and in districts to the southwest and east of Auckland not covered by rail or tram will probably stay at home.