DRIVERS' DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 117, 11 February 1919, Page 5

DRIVERS' DISPUTE

UNION POLICY DECLARED PROPOSALS FOR TRUCE Yesterday the drivers put into effect their promise that they would not come to work until 8 a.m., and so began their policy as declared by tha union at tho last meeting. The employers _ fully expected this to happen, b.ut they took no action to meet it. During the day the proposal was made to the union secretary on behalf of the employers that in . view, of the truce declared at Auckland . . for a period of seven days, the men should agree to the same arrangement here for a like term, pending the completion of the arrangements for the conference. A meeting of the union is to be held to-night, -and the proposal will then be discussed. There is a good prospect .that the men will agree to the suggestion. There is very little doubt that there will be a third conference on this dispute. The only circumstance likely to prevent it would be a strike, or the continuance. of tho slow-work strike, on the pari of .the union. There is still some dcJnt as to the form of this third conference, however. There may be another general conference, or there may In> a conciliation council empowered to deal- with the dispute as for the whole Dominion, or there may be a series of local conferences or local conciliation councils. 'An effort is being made to get a Dominion Conciliation Council, as the quickest iind'most easy method of dealing with the dispute. The chances of settlement' of the dispute are not considered to be hopeless. An endeavour will be made to fis a date for.the conference. as early as possible, and it is in- anticipation of an early arrangement of this conference or council of .concilia-tion-that-the truce-in Auckland has been arranged, by which the men agree to call off the boycott and the slow-work strike. In Wellington there - has been no hint of a boycott, but the action of the'men in staying away from work until 8 o'clock is considered to be tantamount to a slow-work policy. If the union should prove obdurate here, it may bo that the employers will take notice of the action of the union, and that other trouble may be precipitated. REPORTS FROM THE SOUTH. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, February 20. A largely-attended meeting of the Canterbury Drivers' Union was held on Sunday. - Mr. H. Hunter, delegate to the conference with the employers in Wellington, gave an account of the negotiations. He also reported regarding his visit to Dunedin, where he attended a meeting of the Dunedin Union, lie said he found southern drivers in a militant mood, and determined to emulate the action decided on in Auckland and Wellington. He had been able to inform the southern union there was a prospect of a further conference during the following week, and that an understanding prevailed that the Dunedin Union w( uld defer contemplated . action for auuther week. After discussion the Canterbury lii.-ion decided that, in view of the possibility of further negotiations, no action be taken meantime.