STRIKE PARALYSES TASMAN AIR SERVICES

Chronicle (Levin), 12 July 1947, Page 5

STRIKE PARALYSES TASMAN AIR SERVICES

'AUCKLAXD, Julv 11. The air services* petween Auckland and Sydney will be suspeniled inilcfinitoly from tomorrow because of the strike by 150 employees of QantaSEmpire Airways at the Rose Ba-y base. Sydney. The las't erossing was made todav liv the Tasman' Empire Airways llying boat Aotearoa, commanded bv • 'ajdain .1. Kennedy. Meanwhile forwanl bookings, it was stated, would be ih'biyed indelinitely and (30 passengers, iu i-l uil ing the leading American singer, Miss Herta Glaz, wlio were to have liown to Australia in tWo aircrhff tomorrow, had their passages delayed. Tasman Airways in Auckland' was awaiting advice, said an official of the company. The general manager (Mr. G. N. Roberts) expressed the opinion- that Qantas Airways, who were the company's Sydney agents, would eharter Skymasters to maintain the service if Ihev were available and the step was thought advisable. The employees of the company were required to stand by until 10 o'cloek tonight in anticipation of the service being resumed tomorrow. However, advice was received from Sydney that there were no further developments and the stalf was disnussed uhtil fomorrow which would be a normal day in spite of the cancellation of the service. In the opini'oh of persons clo'sely conneeted with the services the strike Avoulil be short-lived and the Governments of Australia a,nd Neiv Zealand would have to intervCne. Wheii the Aotearoa arrived shokfly • before hve o'cloek officials and p'assengers painted a picfure of dis* organisation wliich verged on chads, ' The aircraft had arrivea at Eose Bay the evening before just after the strike sfarted. There were no hands at the base to atten'd to the fuelling of pre- i paring the flying boat for the retura trip. The next day the tender was not manued by the usual erew and the crew of the aircraft had to assist them ashore. The reeonditioning of the plane for the return trip became the responsibilitv of everybody from ,the commande'r down who joined xn swee'pi'ng out th'6 cabfn, cleacMn^ otff tli!e J galley and genefa.lly pttttihg tli'6 cf a-ft ' in order. There was a delay of onlv 22 minutes when the Aotearoa took off , from Sydney this morning.