TROUBLE AVERTED

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 201, 25 August 1919, Page 6

TROUBLE AVERTED

IN HAfcWAY SERVICE. THE EIGHT-HOUR DAY. IRRITATINT! CONDITION'S.RESENTED. (Ily Tclegrai.il—Special to "Star.") ■WELLINGTON, this day. Three months ago the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, on behalf of the second division railway men other than en-jrinedrivcw ami firemen's organisation, completed an agreement with the railway management in regard to wages and working conditions, the latter being' highly important, as they included inauguration of a 44-hour week in the railway workshop, ami a -IS-hour week in other branches of the service. This agreement was only secured after much enticiciii within .the ruilwaymen's society, but it was ratified by a general conference iff delegates from branches. Since that time a number of complaints have been made that the management had not carried out the agreement in the liberal spirit which was anticipated, as the result of the General Manager's promises, and matter* recently came to a head. The Executive I'oimcil interviewed the General Manager to declare that if he stood by method* which had been adopted iv curving out the agreement, there could he no further discussion of grievances, but Ihe society would have to reconsider the whole pn-.tiou A number of install.-cs were ipio'ed in which complicated workin- h.mi> had been arranged oi the trail',.- department, with ihe object, it v.is suggested by ruilivayincii. of de-fe.-itiug the purpose of the agreement) regnrdini; improved working conditions. Mr K. \Y McVilly. when placed ml possession ~f details of these complaints,' explained thai he did not stand for the principlei which appeared to he involved, lie w.slw.l t.i one the men tangible hene-lits. "1 cannot understand," he] explained to the men's executive, "how . we have go: to the position which you say exists, hc.-.iuse there Has no insinic ! tion that could be interpreted, directly] or indirectly. ~r twisted to mean th'ei inauguration ( .f a system such a-s you I say exists " I Mr. McVilly exnla.nc! later in an inten lew thai his tune had been ... much] lal.cn up w.th coal chili.- tlf.es that delay] h.n\ taken p.ac- in adjusting complaint's "v.-r t iie working of the new agreement.! The executive of the A.>.K.S. accepted' his explanation and promise to rectify their gripvunces, es|>eeiully in the way ofi molding untie. an interniitlcnt shifts. and the interi iew. which appears u> have been .|itite healed :u its carlv stiges, ended w fi an expression lYom'thc men's repre-entat ay, ilu.t t lie;, lookp.l forward with confidence to tiie General Manager's' consi.lerati m of their gr.evancc*. It is evKlcnt that hud headquarters l administration of the railways shown approval ~t -~,„,- „f the met lo.ls of bringing about an c ght-luuir day and a ■IS-hour week in the r.iilwav services that another seriou- breach ' would have 0.-ciirreil. \. for t! ngijieers, firemen an I clc.in.-rs' di,pute with tne Railway Department, the men are awaiting the issue of reirul.itions concerning new ,-. u-i di li "lis bef. re deciding vheth.-r they will I