DECISION OF UNION MAY DISORGANISE TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26783, 28 May 1948, Page 4

DECISION OF UNION MAY DISORGANISE TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Some disorganisation of the whole of the city transport system will probably result to-morrow from decisions reached yesterday by the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Tramways Union. The service will be normal to-day, but will probably remain disorganised from to-morrow onwards until such time as a dispute over the payment of acting drivers is settled. It is understood that the Tramways Emergency Disputes Committee may begin the hearing of the dispute on June 9.

A secret ballot was taken yesterday at two shift meetings of the union among acting drivers who are financially affected by the dispute, and they decided by 52 votes to three to decline to accept drivers’ work until they are paid full drivers’ rates for the whole of their working time. A resolution to the effect that the other members of the union, who are not financially affected, should stand behind the acting drivers if they declined to accept duty was carried unanimously. The straight --shift, or permanent, drivers further decided that they would decline to work on their days off until such time as the “ status quo ” was established. A further resolution stated that if there were any victimisation, a stop-work meeting of the union would be called forthwith.

The effect of acting drivers declining to accept duty could be that a number of trams would not be able to leave the sheds on Saturday 'morning because no drivers would be available for them. The situation might also arise that straight shift drivers working the morning shift could take trams out in the morning, but if an acting driver were rostered to take over the car in the afternoon shift, and declined to do so, the tram would be driverless on the tracks, thus holding up trams behind it. Gaps could also form in the bus and cable tram services if acting drivers declined work. Reply by Department

The president of the Dunedin branch of the union, Mr W. 8.. Richards, informed both shift meetings yesterday that the engineer-manager of the City Transport Department. Mr L. C. Greig, in reply to a letter sent to him by the union after two shift meetings on Wednesday afternoon, had stated that “he had nothing to add to his letter of May 25.” The letter referred to stated that the union’s request that acting drivers should be paid at the rate for drivers when they were not so employed was declined. Mr Richards added that it appeared that the engineer-manager maintained that the clause in the decision of the Tramways Emergency ' Committee could not be interpreted and applied now as it had been since July of last year. He said that in view of this the

union should maintain its attitude pending a hearing of the dispute. “ This branch of the union will have to decide whether it will accept Mr Greig's demand that the members should recognise the terms of the tribunal’s decision while he arbitrarily sets them aside and takes powers which are not vested in him,” Mr Richards said. The president then read a telegram from the national secretary of the Tramways Union, Mr P. A. Hansen, of Wellington, which stated: “Arrangements have been made for tribunal to hear dispute at earliest possible date. If judge can arrange for handling other business, tribunal will sit on June 9. Have been assured by secretary of Labour that any decision re payment will be retrospective, but warned that taking direct action must necessarily call for reconsideration of whether tribunal can or should function under such circumstances. Consider due regard should be given this warning in any decision made by your branch." “I doubt whether the authorities in Wellington have full knowledge of who is really making this dispute,’ Mr Richards commented. “ I maintain that if the dispute is to be heard the status quo must be established. Workers have been criticised in. the past for not establishing the status quo, at least in part, before sittings of tribunals.” The meeting agreed that whatever action was decided upon would come into effect on Saturday, as duty rosters had been posted by the department for to-day, and would be worked by all members. Three Dissentients The men taking part in the ballot, which was conducted by an outsider,

were asked to ' vote on the question whether they would decline duty until the status quo was established, and, further, whether they considered the matter should be placed before a competent outside authority. Sixty-five men were eligible to vote, but four were on holiday, two were sick, and two were absent. A total of 56 votes was cast, and three were against the resolution. One informal vote was cast, and 52 men voted in the affirmative. National Basis Industrial Correspondent WELLINGTON, May 27. The tribunal would sit on June 9 or as near to that date as Judge Dalglish could be available, said Mr P. A. Hansen, national secretary of the New Zealand Tramway Employees’ Union commenting to-day on the tramway dispute in Dunedin. Mr Hansen said the tribunal would be on a national basis. “The National Executive of the union has considered the position in Dunedin, and agrees that the action of the general manager of the tramways in stopping pay is very precipitate in so far as it is easily understandable that any workers suffering a reduction in pay would be indignant, 1 ’ Mr Hansen said. “The tribunal de*» cision under which we are working is very precise in its statement that the appointment of an acting driver shall date from the day on which the operator first acts in such capacity. There is no doubt in the mind of the National Executive about the interpretation which must be placed on this clause, and accordingly, with every confidence, we are prepared to submit a case to a tribunal. The Dunedin branch of the union has been advised of this opinion of the National Executive. The tribunal will be on a national basis, though the position is more pressing in Dunedin because of the manner in which the general manager there has apparently gone out of his way to force the issue.”