TRIBUNAL'S REPORT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 225, 17 May 1932, Page 5

TRIBUNAL'S REPORT

(Press. Assn.—

sixty v olunteers to be retained in service board accepts decision

-By Telefrraph— Copyright).

CHRISTCHURCH, Monday The Tramway Board has accepted the decision of the chairman of the tribunal, Mr. A .T. Donnelly, the main 'points of which are: — - 1. — The board shall as soon as possible select for permanent employment suitable and efficient new men up to, but not exceeding, 60 in numher. There are 117 new men now. In making the selection the board shall require a high standard of promise and efficiency from the new men it selects. The chairman says: "I make this stipulation, because it was admitted by the board that the men dismissed prior to the strike were competent and had good records, and were dismissed by reason of retrenchment and for no other reason." 2. — After making the above selection, the board shall complete its normal staff hy selection from memhers of the union now on strike (including the president of the union and other men dismissed j'ust before the strike), and shall not go outside the memhers of the union for that purpose. 3. — In addition to the completion of the normal staff as above set out, the board shall give temporary employment to twenty men from memhers of the union for a period between the present time and the date of the new agreement with the union, which agreement rnust soon he made.

Victimisation Not Proved "In my opinion the charge of victimisation hrought against the executive officers of the board eompletely failed in every case, except that of the president of the union, and in his case was not proved. The president, .as part of the duties of his office, has heen the agent of the union in urg ing union claims upon the board, and it was admitted that he was compet ent and his record was practically indistinguishahle from that of any other man in the service. "The board was unwise in dismissing the president when it did, because it was then in serious conflict "with the union, and should have forefeeen what did actually happen — namely, that a charge of victimisation would be made, which in the cireumstances could neither be proved bv the union nor refuted by the board." Mr. Donnelly adds. "If the temper of both sides at the earlier conferences had been as moderate as before the tribunal, I believe the dispute would have been settled without a 'strike."