TRAM STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1932, Page 5

TRAM STRIKE

ONLY COMPROMISE

MRS McCOMBS’ STATEMENT.

By Telegraph—Per Pres Association )

CHRISTCHURCH, Mi:y 18.

In a statement on the tramway strike decision, Mrs E. R. McCombs a member of the board, said : —“Mr Donnelly had a . very difficult’ task. The jiuipip,ejiti,ji.s, obviously a -compromise. ~ljpj!t,he .fitatCinent by Mir : Andrews he stresses the point that- the charge of victimisation has not:, been sustained. I must say that the representatives of the clergy and others, who acted so splendidly in trying 'to negotiate, did not seem to be in doubt on the question of victimisation.

The members of the board asked these' gentlemen to believe that the board did not know Mr Mathison was president of the union, although he had been president for years, and had; been oil a number of deputations to the board. It any doubt existed in the minds of the negotiators it was quickly , removed by Mr McLaCh’lan’s explanations, as to why Mr Mathison was chosen for dlsffiisal. “As li member of the board I have to ask myself, ‘What has the board achieved?’ The strike besides causing inconvenience to the public, will cost thoiigunds of pounds. The board will lose tried and trusted servants and, worse still, it will lose the goodwill of its best customers —the workers. That is the sum total of. the board’s achievements. Any successful business J know of tries to maintain the cooperation of its employees and the goodwill of its customers. ;

“The present board is out of touch with its employees, and is incapable of seeing the men’s point of view. There would have been no strike if, on'Tuesday night last the board had agreed to accept the men’s proposals to negotiate on the method of rationing, the 1 principle of which both parties accepttd. The men’s reason for not accepting the. board’s rationing scheme was that they claim it had been used unfairly to provide a cheap stand-by staff.

STRIKERS’ RESUMPTION.

RENEWS PUBLIC CONFIDENCE

CHRISTCHURCH, May 18

The tramway services were run tonight until 10.20, and to-morrow the normal will be restored. This aftenoon a considerable number of the ex-strikers were hack at' work, and the public seemed to shovv a renewed cbnfidehce iii the trams 1 fofi V largefi number of people Caine into the city than oil ady day siilce the Strike begah, ’ ‘' The General/ Manager to-day issued a notice to the employes to the effect that any evidence of enmity betweeri members of the Union, strikers and non strikers, and between strikers and those of the volunteer workers retain-' e d, would 'be Vlb wed with the strongest disapproval by the Board. There were no signs of any such enmity to-day. The strikers who have been reinstated seemed only too glad' to be back at their work