"Council ofcinis were frequently asked during the recent strike of the two public transport services why the Council appeared to be taking tne action and why the Counelt issued communiques. Now that the two strikes are happily settled, the opportunity to make an explanation 1. welcomed by the Council, "When a public authority has compulsory powers for settling labour, disputes, it can only mediate. Medi Vion ina labour dispute frequently falls because it is offered too carly. 'A public authority must be particularly careful to avoid such a failure. The situation during the strike frequently changes from hour to hour. The issue of official statements may much harm. They can easily, through no fault of the maker of the statement, be too reassuring or too alarming." They result in. prolongation of trouble. The the public can always rest assured that every change in the situation watched by the Council during a major dispute affecting the public, and either the Council itself or, the Industrial Section 19 ready to mediate should It appear that mediation would bbe timely, Council influence is often effective in helping to settle a dis pute when neither the public nor the parties to the dispute know that the Council has acted. The most effeetive stop that the Council can take often to Invite some independent cading member of the community offer mediation without making any public reference to the Council."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.