THE TRAMWAYS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17933, 2 November 1918, Page 8

THE TRAMWAYS.

DEADLOCK CONTINUED. The situation in regard to the tramway dispute was practically unchanged yesterday. The' board and the union were at a deadlock, from which it seemed unlikely they would be extricated without intervention from some Catside source.

THE DISMISSED EMPLOYEES.

THE BOARD'S VIEW. The statement made on Thursday by the secretary of the" union (Mr H. Hunter) ques< tioning_ the legality of the board'tf action in summarily dismissing certain employees has been replied to by the general manager of the tramways, who states that the board complied with Clause 12 of the award, which provides that on a report against an employee) being received the man concerned musy be notified of the nature of tho conn plaint within forty-eight hours. All the men had been notified well within this time, and they had not, so far, exercised their right of appeal. The men had not the right to forty-eight hours' notice of dismissal. Clause ? of the award provided that "not les9 than one week's notice of termination of engagement shall be given by the board or its employees, but this shall not prevent the board from dismissing any employee for good and substantial cause, without notice, subject in all case 3 to an appeal by the employees."

QUESTION OF APPEALS.

The secretary of the union was asked yesterday why no aypealc had been made, and his reply was as follows: " Tho right of appeal to the Tramway Appeal Board is worth nothing to the) union. The union appealed to the Aj>' peal Board, consisting of Messrs H. W. Bishop (chairman), J. A. Frostick (board's representative) and Motormaw O'Donnell (employees' representative), in the case of the dismissal of Conduc tor Lennox, and the board recommended the re-employment of Lennox in an other department of the service. The Appeal Board's recommendation waf absolutely ignored, and the union does not care to go to the trouble and expense of bringing appeals before « body whose recommendations have nc weight with the Tramway Board." Mr Hunter added that Motorman O'Donnell was one of the employees recently dismissed.

With reference to the dismissal on Thursday of Conductor! G. Gearrv and R. Forester, on the ground thai they neglected to collect fares, Mr Hunter said that he understood that tho men had been attempting to observe a Btrict general order, frequently emphasised verbally by officers of tho hoard, that conductors must not cross> from one unit of a tramway train to another while the cars were in motion. Conductors Gearry and Forester were in charge of "express" runs, and had no opportunity to collect fares till the end of the run. Tho general manager, by way ol reply to the union secretary's contention that the board disregarded findings of the Tramway Appeal Board, quoted sub-section 3 of section 6 of the Tramways Amendment Act, 1910, as follows: " (8)) The determination q£ . the board shall in the case of everj appeal be reported to the Minister, a~4 shall be binding on all parties and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction." ANOTHER CONDUCTOR ."■: DISMISSED. . ■ Another conductor was dismissed yesterday morning. It is alleged; that passengers on his car wert found to have tickets that had been sold pre viously. RESOLUTION 'OF ENGINEDRIVERS' UNION.,'-;;. At a meeting of the Engine-drivers and Firemen's Union, held 'ast night at the Trades Hall, the following resolution was carried unanimously:—-"That this meeting strongly condemns the action of the Chrißtohurch Tramway Board in refusing to pay a living wage in accordance with the high cost ct living now prevailing, when the rate or pay asked for by the Tramway Union) is the luling rate elsewhere-" A publio meeting will bo held at the Opera Hmse at 8 p.m. to-morrow, when the Deputy-Mayor, Councillor A. Williams, will preside, and addresses will be given by Councillors H. Hunter (secertary of the union) and D. G. Sullivan, and Mr E. Snow (president of the union). ; At a meeting of the Canterbury Printers' Machinists' and Bookbinders' Union, held at the Trades Hall on Fri« day evening, the following resolution was unanimously passed:— This meet-, ing expresses its disgust at the action of the Tramway Board in depriving men of their situations whilst endeavouring to carry out the confusing regulations provided by the board,. As citizens of Christohurch, we desire/to see the men reinstated at the earliest possible moment, and we also desire that the men in the employ of the citizens of Ohristchuroh be placed on the same footing as the Wellington tramw,ay employees."