AN EXTENSIVE STRIKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 8406, 15 February 1888, Page 4

AN EXTENSIVE STRIKE.

THE TRAMWAY UNION. [BT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. COPYRIGHT.] [Special to Press Association.] [Received Feb. 14. at 1.30 p.ui.l MELBOURNE, Fab. 14. The Tramway Union men have resolved to go out on strike. The dispute has arisen from the demand made by the Union that apprentices should join the Union before going on cars. The Tramway Trust declined to accede to this demand. The quarrel has been going on for some time, but now seems to be coming to a head. From 300 to 500 men are expected to go out on strike. The Company are taking measures to cope with the difficulty, so that traffic shall not be interfered with, and are offering extra inducements to those of their employees who remain faithful. The men assert that the Company intend to get 500 men from Dunedin to take the places of those who may go out on strike, and the Union have written to the Seamen’s Union, asking them to take such steps as may be practicable to prevent men being shipped. Many of the strikers hold driving licenses, and intend to run vehicles in opposition to the trams. [Received Fob. 14, at 10.25 p.m. 1

The Tramway Trust having refused to agree to the request of the Tramway Union that apprentices should be required to join tho Union, it has resulted in five hundred and sixty employees going out on strike. So far no disturbance has aneen, but the traffic to some extent has been interrupted, though not altogether entirely suspended. The Trust have secured a number of bands, and thus manage to run the cars, but at long intervals. Numbers of the unemployed are making application to be taken on. Those on strike have made a proposal to refer the dispute to arbitration.