Tramway Dispute Settled: Board And Union Agree

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1950, Page 7

Tramway Dispute Settled: Board And Union Agree

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day (P.A.). The national tramway dispute over the dismissal of a Christchurch bus operator for beiny found in uniform on licensed premises one hour and three-quarters before reporting for duty was quickly settled yesterday, when representatives of the national executive of the union met the Christchurch Tramway Board. The board agreed to accept, in the main, the national union’s proposals for a settlement. The decision to ask unions throughout New Zealand to have a one-day strike is accordingly abandoned.

The union suggested to the board that as the union’s demand foi’ the unconditional reinstatement of Mr L. Chappell, the bus operator had been withdrawn, the board would consider reverting to the status quo by permitting Mr Chappell to resume duties, pending the hearing of the case and argument on the rules by the tribunal. The union said that such, action by the board would be accepted by the union as a fitting and generous gesture. The conference between the union and the board lasted less -than an hour, and the board continued its meeting.. No report was issued by the board on this point, but it is understood that it unanimously decided that Mr Chappell should not be reinstated.

The Minister of Labour (Mr-W. Sullivan) will appoint the tribunal. Mr P. A. Hansen (national secretary of the union) said before he left by air for Wellington yesterday afternoon that an immediate approach would be made to the Minister, and the tribunal would sit in Christchurch either next week or the following week. The board and the union agreed to facilitate the hearing. Both parties agreed that a magistrate should be chairman and that an equal number of representatives should be appointed. An important agreement at the conference was that the union undertook not to have any further stoppages of work while the tribunal was sitting. A further agreement was that both parties would agree to the decisions of the tribunal. The main terms oi' the agreement recorded by the board and conveyed in a letter from the general manager (Mr J. F. Fardel 1) to Mr Hansen were:— . 2 , That a tribunal with a magistrate as chairman be set up to determine the validity of rule 21 in Christchurch. That upon the validity of the rule being determined, then the matter of the reinstatement of Mr Chappell be determined. That the framing of a rule be dealt with through national channels by a tribunal with a magistrate as chairman on a national basis.