Dunedin Tram Drivers’ Grievance

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1948, Page 7

Dunedin Tram Drivers’ Grievance

DUNEDIN, May 31. Following a disagreement between the City Transport Department and the Tramways Union over payment for relieving duties, Dunedin, tramwaymen have decided to decline relieving duties as from Saturday afternoon, and since that time there has been some dislocation of schedules with consequent inconvenience to the public. A stop-work meeting of the union to discuss the position was held this afternoon and during the meeting no trams or buses ran.

The union claims that the department refused the men who have declined relieving duties permission to work the normal rostered shifts. The unoredictable nature of disorganisation of transport services during the week-end caused considerable inconvenience to many would-be passengers. It was widely known that some curtailment of services was inevitable, but it was impossible to forecast which vehicle would run and which would not. Hundreds of people at various times and in various parts or the city had the experience of waiitng for a scheduled bus or tram, only to find that it was not running because of shortage of drivers. -