TRAM STRIKE IN MELBOURNE CONTINUES

Chronicle (Levin), 7 January 1948, Page 5

TRAM STRIKE IN MELBOURNE CONTINUES

Received Tuesday, 11.30 p.m. MELBOURNE, llan. 6. A conference held today with the object of settling the train strike, brolce down and Melbourne is still without trams. There are no signs yet ot any extension of the dispute to tha, railways. . .hir. Kent Hughes, Minister of Railvvays, today niet representatives of the Railwtiy Gomtnissiondrs and Ra,ijways. .Urdpix-- wherehfter unien offi- ; cials said that in view of assurances given by the Government, there would be no rail'stoppage. Mr. Charles O 'Shea, secretary of the Tramways Union, said the failure to settle the dispute was due to the Tramways Board 's refusal to allow the men to' return to work on prestrike conditions. The board was insisting that the men work new .six-day, 40-hour rosters which the union claims less satisfactory than the six-day, 44-hour rosters which were in operation before the strike. The men were prepared to work four j hours' overtime while the board compiled live-day, - 40-honr rosters. The board says these rosters cannot be prepared until 800 more traffic staft are obtained. The union claims it ean be done with 400 more. The stoppage may now continue indefinitely. About 5000 men are on strike with a wage loss of £6000 daily.. The board is losing revenue at the rate of £7000 daily. However, while the suburban railways are still operating, the city's aetivities are proc-eeding almost normally though many thousands of workers are being subjected to much inconvenience. Big concerns report little absenteeism.