CONFUSED POSITION IN TRAM STRIKE

Chronicle (Levin), 16 January 1948, Page 5

CONFUSED POSITION IN TRAM STRIKE

UeiM'ivi'tl Thursday, 11.10 p.m. MELBOUEXE, Jan. 15. Mt'lbounit* spent a cyufnsed day today t'lideavouring to sort out a mixture ot" tluvats ot a scrious extension of the traih strike aiid liopes oi' selllement. Moves for a settlement whereiii modvraif Laliour leaders and politica! Labouritcs touk a proniinent part, bi'gail last night and rontinucd today but the militants. U»d by the (.'omiuunist ,J. J. Brown, Stali* sec lvtary oi' the Australian Kailuays Liiion, lui\e now sliifted their grouud from tiie tram ilispute and are niakiug the lnain issue ti deinand 1'Or the (lovei'iinieiit to abainlon its euiergeney legislation. Ihe ])rineipal niove in the settleiuent negot iat ions was ;t conipuisorv eonl'erenee by tlie ( oui'iliation t oiiiniissioner, -Mr. Blackburn. betweeji Mr. U. H. liell, ehaii man ot the 1 rauiways Board and Mi. K. H. Ilniadley, Pederal seeretarv oi the Aiist ralian Traniways [ niou. llr. C. O'Shea, Stat-e seeretarv of the uiiion was uniiiMted. The onteonie of tliis conferenee was an order for the resiniiptioii of work by the trainwaymeu on ihe contested 40-hour six-day rosters eioniit ional upon the board preparing 40 honr live-day rosters by April 1. j Ihe iiuion 's deinand is for resumption j vn 11 hour six-dav rosters with i'our| hours iivertune peudiiig the ]>reparation oi U) huiir Jive-day rosters. The board 's o.ijection to this is a elaim tliat the jn-e-st rtke rosters wei-e unworkable uiider tlie new eonditions in all imlusf'.v generaily, under diil'erent peak loiiding eonditions caused bv tlie 40houi wcek. -Mr. lUaeKburn's order will be discussed at a, niass ineeting of tramwavnien toinorow tvhereat, it is understood, I ederai ofii. ers of the uuiou will reeomcu'iiu aeeepianee and the immediate iv.suiiiption tlie services. - It is probatde. thou^a not eertain, that this rei-oiitiuenduliou will be adopted.

1 his, iiow,.,er, does not end the matter bei-ause the. (Jovei'ninent iutends to proeeeil tonight with its einerge^xcy h-gisjation which o tiie ers oi' the Pailwuys [ nion u'nd Engine-drivers ' I'nion 11,11 1 other unions say must be aliandoned before they witlulraw the stopI>age threats. This aspeet of a possible nev\ disjiute was dealt with this afteriioon b, a nieeting of the executive "ltieers ov the Trad-es Htill Couneil who directed a defernient of these unions1 stoppage plans pending Ihe tramway meii's deeision toniorrow. While the Uo\ vrrunent niay pass its Einergeney Eill tonight, it probably will not be I'loelaiiued but kept on the Btatute liook in readiness d'or anv siinilar ei'iergency at a later stage.