TRANSPORT WAR ENDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 806, 29 October 1929, Page 1

TRANSPORT WAR ENDS

Board and Union Declare Peace

COMPROMISE EFFECTED

New Agreement to be Made

PEACE has been declared between the Auckland Transport Board and the Tramwaymen’s Union in their longstanding dispute.

The effect is virtually a compromise, the board stating that it had no intention to interfere with the union’s affairs, and the union in turn assuring the board that it had at no time thought to impede the smooth working of the undertaking.

The trouble arose in the first instance when the board demanded that the union should expunge a certain minute from its books. The minute was a resolution passed in April last “viewing with alarm and apprehension the action of six members of the union in offering to give evidence against the union before the Tramways Appeal Board.” The union refused to comply, and then began a bitter feud, neither side showing any willingness to yield. The trouble came to a head when the board broke off relations with the men, at the same time withdrawing its assessors appointed to negotiate with the union for a new working agreement. The assistance of the Alliance of Labour was recently solicited to take up the men’s case, and the secretary, Mr. J. Roberts, of Wellington, spent the week-end in Auckland. BOARD ACCEPTS In announcing to the board this morning that a settlement had been reached, the chairman of the board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, made the following statement: “This morning I met representatives of the Auckland Tramways and Municipal Omnibus Employees’ Union of Workers, Inc., accompanied by Mr. Roberts and Mr. Irvine. “The representatives of the union assure the boa.rd that it waa not the intention of the union, in passing the resolution objected to, to discourage the board’s employees from giving evidence when they are able to do so; that, on the contrary, the representatives of the union stated that this duty is one which every employee should carry out conscientiously. “On behalf of the board, I informed the deputation that the board has no desire to interfere with the domestic affairs of the union, and that I felt confident that the board will accept the union’s assurance and consider the incident now closed. “I recommend the board to close the incident, and to appoint the original assessors (viz., the chairman, and Messrs. Ashley and Potter) to negotiate for the new agreement with the union.”

In moving the adoption o£ the report, Mr. A. J. Eutrican expressed gratification that the long-standing dispute had been settled. Mr. F. S. Morton, who seconded, said the outcome was the only reasonable thing that the board could have done in the circumstances. “I am very happy about it,” he said. Mr. E. J. Phelan (whimsically) : The position now is just what I have been maintaining all through. I pointed out to the board that the union had no intention to interfere with the course of justice. lam very glad that diplomacy and justice have been practised. ' The Chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum: No one is more pleased than I am. He asked the assessors to make it their urgent business to meet the union representatives tomorrow morning to consider a new agreement. The report was adopted.