UNFAVOURABLE TURN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26692, 11 February 1948, Page 4

UNFAVOURABLE TURN

Further Stop-work Meeting Probable CITY TRANSPORT DISPUTE Though city tram and bus services reverted to normal yesterday, after a meeting on Monday night at which representatives of the union met the Transport Committee of the City Council, the future position remains uncertain because of tramwaymen’s resentment at a statement made for publication by the chairman of the Transport Committee, Cr E. J. Anderson. Late last night it was announced that a further stop-work meeting was probable. The conference held on Monday night was followed by a further meeting of the Transport Committee and union representatives yesterday afternoon, and it was during this discussion that the terms of Cr Anderson’s statement to the press became known. In a statement made to the Daily Times last night, the vice-president of the Tramways Union, Mr A. E. Scoones, said that he protested at the conference against Cr Anderson’s statement. Later, said Mr Scoones, he found that the men were incensed at the terms of the statement, which by this time had been published. They were now in a worse mood than they were a fortnight ago.

“ It was by a secret ballot of members at a stop-work meeting that they decided to work to rules and regulations,” said Mr Scoones. Despite that secret ballot, the executive had decided to return to normal running as an honest attempt to meet the Transport Committee in order to settle the position. The executive was very concerned that so little progress had been made and would meet to-day and probably decide on a stop-work meeting. If this eventuated every effort would be made to have the president, Mr W. B. Richards, who was now in Wellington. present at the meeting. In reply to a question by the Daily Times, Mr Scoones stated that, as far as he knew at the moment, the normal running of the transport services would continue until the meeting of the executive had been held to-day. The circumstances leading up to the conference on Monday night, when the usual meeting of the Transport Committee was held, were described by the chairman of the committee. Cr

executive, after the first meeting with the Transport Committee, it had been agreed that it would be impracticable tq change to normal at 3.30, and a decision was made that normal running would be observed as from the start of duty yesterday morning. This decision went into operation. Yesterday afternoon, he continued, the committee originally appointed for the purpose, with one exception, met the Transport Committee again. A measure of agreement was reached on certain questions which had been in dispute. In the course of the discussion, it was disclosed by Cr Anderson that he had made a statement to the press i-egarding the meeting on Monday night, and he indicated the nature of the statement to the representatives of the union who were present. Mr Scoones added that when Cr Anderson made the statement he did not know that the trams had resumed normal running. “ The conference was called by the Transport Committee with the object of settling this impasse,” said Mr Scoones. “ and it was the view of the union that no statement should be made until finality was reached. I informed Cr Anderson that we took exception to his going to the press at that stage, and we considered that such a statement as he had made would tend to nullify any progress that had been made towards an amicable settlement.” . , When Mr Anderson wqs informed last night of the union’s attitude he stated that he did not wish to make a further statement.

E. J. Anderson, in the statement which he made yesterday morning and which iater was stated to have incurred, the tramwaymen’s resentment. Chairman’s Statement “The Tramways Union insisted,” said Cr Anderson. “ that we should ‘ request 1 them to see us, whereupon I told them that it was immaterial whether they came by ‘ request,’ by our ‘ invitation,’ or by any other means so long as the useless conduct of the last ceased. When they did come to the committee meeting the following points were made clear to them: — “That the appeal (of the bus driver dismissed as the result of an accident in Pitt street on December 5) would take its proper legal course. “ That the senseless attitude of last week must cease immediately. “That if the attitude did cease, the Transport Committee would be happy to have the co-operation of representatives—a motorman, a conductor, and a motor vehicle driver— 1 - to assist in drafting what was hoped would be a complete modern set of standing orders for operators. “it was suggested to the union representatives that it would be wise first to see what cities like Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and London did in the matter of standing orders for operators,” Cr Anderson said. “The deputation from the Tramways Union appeared to be anxious to refer the situation to one of its officials, who was absent' in Wellington on Federation of Labour business.” Cr Anderson went on to refer to the union’s anxiety for a further meeting yesterday afternoon, stating that he assumed that the desire of the men was for a preliminary discussion on the new code. Union’s Attitude In a statement to the Daily Times last night, Mr Scoones said that, on receipt of the oiler of mediation by the Otago branch of the National Council of Churches, a committee had been set up on Saturday by the executive of the Tramways Union with the object of meeting the Transport Committee if it requested a conference. A representative of the Labour Department sent for him on Monday and informed him that the Transport Committee wished to meet the union. He informed the department’s representative of the appointment of the committee and also told him that the union would meet the Transport Committee in conference at any time it desired such a meeting. In the evening, Mr Scoones added. Cr Anderson communicated with him by telephone and suggested that the men send a deputation to the Transport Committee, which was meeting that night. He twice refused to agree to this suggestion unless Mr Anderson’s invitation was in the form of a request, and Cr Anderson eventually agreed to request a deputation. “After a consultation with members of the Management Committee,” Mr Scoones continued. “we decided to approach the Transport Committee with the object of arranging a further conference later, when all the members originally appointed would be present. At the meeting, with the committee the code was discussed without any conclusion being reached, and it was agreed that a further conference should be held on Tuesday at 3.30 p.m. It was agreed that, from the start of the second conference, the trams would resume normal running. Mr Scoones went on to explain that, upon further consideration by the