DRIVERS’ DISPUTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1939, Page 8

DRIVERS’ DISPUTE

COMPLAINT BY UNION PRESIDENT EMPLOYERS CRITICISED. REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE REFUSED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.; WELLINGTON, This Day. In a statement today in his capacity as president of the New Zealand Drivers’ Federation, Mr A. Parlane declared that if, through the attitude adopted by the employers yesterday, trouble arose, the employers would be responsible. He said that on receipt of word that there was trouble at Auckland, and on receiving details, he got into touch with Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, with the object of seeing whether the points of difference could be referred to a disputes committee. Mr Bishop was favourable to this course and Mr Parlane communicated with the officials of the Auckland union accordingly. The secretary and assistant-secretary of the Auckland union came to Wellington with the object of having the matters in dispute dealt with by a disputes committee. “We met the employers yesterday morning, but we found it was not a disputes committee meeting but merely a conference with the employers.” said Mr Parlane. ‘‘After hearing our arguments, the employers said that if there were any matters which in their opinion should be referred to a disputes committee they would agree to that course being followed. After discussing the matter till the luncheon adjournment, we retired and met them again in the afternoon at 3.30. The employers then gave us their decision, which was a refusal to refer the matters in dispute to the disputes committee provided for in the award.”