TRAMS RESUME AT DUNEDIN THIS MORNING

Grey River Argus, 5 June 1948, Page 4

TRAMS RESUME AT DUNEDIN THIS MORNING

Tribunal to Settle the Dispute P.A. DUNEDIN, June 4. The tramways in Dunedin are expected to resume their normal services to-morrow.

The resumption follows on a meeting of the men at 10 a.m. to-morrow, and the appointment of the Tribunal by ‘ the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan. The members of the Tribunal are Messrs E. J. Anderson (chairman of the Transport Committee of the Dunedin City Council), P. A. Hansen (National Secretary of Tramway Employees’ Union), with W. Cadwallader (Superintendent of the Department of Labour and Employment at Dunedin), as chairman.

Prime Minister’s Proposal Accepted

DUNEDIN, June 4

In an endeavour to settle the tram dispute, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, telephoned the council suggesting that the amount of pay in dispute for acting-drivers be paid into a special trust account, pending a settlement of the dispute. The council agreed to.'this and invited union rpresentatives to inspect the account if they wish". The Dunedin City Council yesterday issued an ultimatum to the 300 tram and bus workers on strike that they would be dismissed if they did not resume work by 7 a.m. to-day. The time limit was later extended till this afternoon to give the union an opportunity to consider the proposal made by the Prime Minister. The council extended the time limit on its ultimatum at the request of the Minister of Defence, Hon F. Jones, who is Member of Parliament for St. Kilda. Mr Jones informed the council that he wished to attend a meeting of the union at 2 p.m. to-day.

The failure of the City Council and the Dunedin branch of the union to reach a settlement before the Prime Minister’s intervention, led to a fear that the dispute might spread to other centres. In the meantime, there are no trams or buses.

Minister of Labour Explains Position

P.A. WELLINGTON, June 4. The Minister, Mr McLagan, said that, this morning, he had made an offer to both Dunedin City. Council and the Tramway Employees’ Union to set up a tribunal to adjudicate on the matter immediately in dispute, but this offer had not been accepted by the City Council. The executive of the Tramways Union had recommended the men to accept a tribunal. POINTS AT ISSUE He said the immediate point at issue between the tramway workers of Dunedin and the City Council was the question as to- who should have the custody of a small sum of money at stake—approximately £50 —until such time as a decision was given by the national tribunal, which ahd been set up to determine a larger dispute regarding rates of pay, and which would De sitting in Wellington next Wednesday. The City Council desired that such money should be placed in the suspense account of the Council, whereas the workers desired that the money should be paid over to the Department of Labour, and held by the Department until a decision of the tribunal was available. “It is ridiculous”, said the Minister, “that the public of Dunedin should be without transport facilities because of a trifling difference of this nature. In view of the City Council’s refusal to accept my earlier offer of a tribunal, I feel that the only sensible course to take is to appoint a tribunal in accordance with the powers conferred upon me as Minister of Labour in terms of the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations, and to require the attendance of a representative of both the employers and workers. The tribunal will deal merely with the. question of the temporary custody of the money at stake. “It is expected that the transport services in Dunedin will resume normal running shortly after a meeting of the men, which is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. to-morrow”.