Tumes
:
HONGKONG TRAM STRIKE
14
COMPANY'S REFUSAL TO
NEGOTIATE
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
HONGKONG, JAN. 3 The only new development here in the ndustrial disputes during the holidays was the ejection, by the tramway company, of a re- quest made in a letter from the tramwaymen's union for the resumption of negotiations with The mediation of the Government or of prominent residents.
The company had already agreed to submit the dispute to the arbitration board, and regards the situation as unchanged by the union's letter. In the meantime, the stoppage of trams is causing increasing inconvenience to the public, especially to office workers and housewives. They are forced to adopt round- 'about routes by other means, or join long
queues outside the bus termini.
+
The public utility workers, who, like the ramwaymen, are demanding additional allow- ances of $3 a day, are trying to persuade the ferry, waterworks, and other key workers to
i present a similar demand, but without effect up to now. It is regarded as significant that only the tramwaymen presented an 'ulti- natum," though some utility workers have approached the managements several times since the original demands were presented and refused.
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