Talks fail to end Aust. drivers’ blockade

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 6

Talks fail to end Aust. drivers’ blockade

NZPA Sydney More than 4000 trucks

I were maintaining blockades [ at 40 points around Australia last evening, severely disrupting traffic on all mam highways.

The Premiers of New South Wales and QueensHand, Mr Neville Wran and [Mr Joh Bjelke-P-tersen, met; the drivers yesterday but ini neither case was there an announced decision to lift the blockade. In South Australia, drivers i will meet the State Transj port Minister (Mr Geoff Virgo) today to discuss his ; offer to abolish road tax. The Premier of Victoria (Mr Dick Hamer) yesterday called on the truck drivers to lift the blockades and return to work. He said the outstanding demands of the truck drivers in that state had been met and they were continuing t he blockade in support of New South Wales drivers. The rebel drivers are demanding the immediate lift- ’ ing of road taxes, employIment guarantees, equal pay jfor all drivers, a moratorium ion truck repayments, uni- ■ form weight and speed j limits, and immunity from

the police action resulting from the blockade. The New -South Wales Premier, Mr Wran, flew to Camden, south of Sydney yesterday for talks with a delegation representing the drivers, but both parties refused to comment after the meeting. It is believed, however, that Mr Wran outlined full [details of a package proposal formulated at a meeting of state and Federal Transport Ministers in Melbourne on Saturday night. The package includes the abolition of road taxes from July 1. moves for negotiations to fix higher freight rates, establishment of advisory bodies to the industry, and an undertaking to control the number of people in the trucking busi-[ ness by the introduction of a licensing scheme and tightening of hire-purchase systems.

Drivers’ delegates were to report back to their various groups last evening and Government sources indicated they were likely to meet Mr Wran again today. A drivers’ spokesman, Mr Bob Morgan, says one of the point.; the drivers wanted settled was the question of

[compulsory membership of ’the Transport Workers’ Union. I Mr Morgan said the i T.W.U. had allegedly used industrial blackmail to get [non-union memoers who do I not wish to join the union, ’to join. He said he had been told before he left fdeibourne that his truck would not be unloaded in Brisbane until he [joined the union. . He said drivers were looking at forming their own 'association instead of being (involved with the union. The Commonwealth Government would be prepared to call in the Army to clear the national truck blockade if the states requested it, said the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) yesterday. There would be a report on the various avenues open to the Commonwealth in dealing With the blockades waiting for him when he returned to Melbourne, he said.

There was no contingencyplan at this stage but the Commonwealth was looking at its resources, he said. Mr Fraser made it clear that any' such action would[ only be taken at the request of the states.