THREAT OF STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1937, Page 7

THREAT OF STRIKE

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

BUS DRIVERS AT LONDON SHORTER HOURS SOUGHT MINE WORKERS' DISPUTE DEMAND BY FEDERATION

London, April 29. i Negotiations to settle the London bus dispute have broken down. A strike wiU occur to-morrow at midnight unless there is a fresh development. Negotiations for the purpose of averting a strike were continued to-day at the Ministry of Labour. So far as is publicly known the Transport Union maintning the demand of a 7£-hour day and the London Passenger Transport Board, while prepared to refer the issue to a public inquiry of arbitration, has not modified its position that the demand cannot be met out of its finances, but it is still hoped that a compromise may be found. The Mines Department is also engaged in industrial conciliation with a view to bringing about an agreement between the Mine Workers' Federation— a national delegate conference of which is due to meet to-morrow to consider action on the recent ballot of coalfields, which by 444,546 votes to 61,446 authorised a strike to secure recognition of the federation in Nottinghamshire— and the owners ot the Harworth colliery. who refuso to negotiate with the local union afiiliated to the federation. / A national strike on MAy 14 is inentioned in some quarters as a possibility, but the general feeling is more optinustic and expects a settlement. The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Balctwin, questioned in the House of Commons on the position, said he was satisfied that everything possible was being done to find a solution of ' the very difflcult problem.