AN AGITATED SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 253, 24 October 1919, Page 7

AN AGITATED SERVICE.

EAIXWAYMEK'S PROTESTS. . ■ * i AMENDMENT BILL DEPRECATED. ' BOTH DIVISION- UNITED. If resolutions of protest carry any weight, the Railway Amendment Bill j which is now before 'the House should have an early demise, for from the respective authorities, representing membefore of both first and second divisions of tne service, they are being carried j wholesale. ' I The chief source of complaint is the I proposal to give the general manager j power to promote men without classifi- j cation. This both sections of the ser- i vice describe as being disastrous, and j contend that it will not only destroy the principle of classification, but also take in its stride any safeguards provided by the Appeal Boards. Members of the first division are very j agitated at the action of a delegation I from the executive committee in entering into an agreement with the Department in April last, in which they accepted the provision now complained of without making known the agreement to members of the institute. To-night members will be given an opportunity, at a mass meeting, to discuss .a motion repudiating this delegation, and opposing the sweeping change now proposed. The second division which comprise in chief the men at the workshops, have had the matter in hand some time, and as far back as a fortnight ago the Auckland branch of the A.S.R.S. called upon their executive to make representations to members of the House (particularly those representing labour) to force a division on the bill. They also are to hold a meeting tonight when it is more than probable, according to a statement adduced from a high official of the Society, that a resolution will be passed, renewing that request. These men do not complain at the lower paid officers having their salaries increased, for, as one said, it only means that their war bonus is converted into wages. They do object; however, to the higher salaried officers receiving this benefit, for in addition their salaries will be increased, and on retiring, in, saj - , two or three years, they will receive additional benefit by way of superannuation, for the sum paid out is based on the salary received during the official's last two or three years' service. Several resolutions have been passed by the men. One at a meeting held at the Newmarket workshops, at which there were fully 400 men present, runs as follows: —"That this meeting of the Newmarket branch A.S.R.S. most strongly oppose the promotion proposals as contained in the new Railway Amendment Bill. We consider the granting of autocratic powers to the general manager in regard to promotion to be a retrograde step, as he must necessarily be guided by reports from his officers all over the Dominion, thereby opening the way for favouritism, political influence, toadyism and bias, without any guarantee that the most experienced or capable man would be appointed; and, further, we call upon every member of the House who calls himself a representative of the people to oppose the granting of large increases (in some cases £250 per annum) to high salaried officers of the Department, while members of the second division are struggling for a bare existence. Inasmuch as some of these officers are eligible at the present time to retire on £666 per annum, and under the new proposals their retiring allowance would be increased to £833 per annum, and bearing in mind that the superannuation fund had to be augmented recently by a considerable sum to make it solvent, we consider that the second division are being shamefully exploited in regard to' superannuation for the benefit of a favoured few. We urge our executive to fight these proposals by every means at their command, and to publish a list of names in every paper in New Zealand of those members* of the House who favoured this scandalous piece of class legislation, and also the names of those members who recognised that a working man existing on a wage of considerably less than pre-war standard is in infinitely greater need of assistance than an official on a comfortable salary." Another passed by the men at the Penrose workshop reads: "That this meeting of Penrose workshops men condemns the Government for their action in granting large increases to railway officers already receiving high salaries, while making no provision for an increase to second division men, whose present rate of pay is quite inadequate to live on and maintain a reasonable standard of living. Further, we emphatically protest against the proposal to allow the right of promotion to be left in the general manager's hands irrespective of seniority, and we pledge ourselves to support our executive in any steps they may take to prevent these proposals being carried into effect." The last, from a special meeting of the Te Kuiti branch of the A.S.R.S., reads: "This meeting enters its strongest protest against the action of the management in awarding itself large increases in salary, -whilst at the same time it, on the score of finance, states its inability to increase the lower scale of wages to a standard approximating pre-war rates. As members of the general community paying general* taxation we protest against the superannuation fund beirtg unduly loaded. We place every confidence in the Executive Council, and support them in their protest against the mutilation of the principle of classification by vesting in the General Manager absolute power in the matter of promotion." FIRST DIVISION'S ATTITUDE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Authorised representatives of the Railwya officers' Nnstitute urge that te Railway Bill's provisions for first division salaries should be passed. Replying to assertions that certain first division men are provided with large increases, they point out that ther care only seven such cases in the whole service, and the rates fixed are only reasonable in view of the responsibilities involved, the rank and file of the division only receiving about £45 all round. They point out that tbe second division has received bonuses during the war, while the first has received less in bonuses, and in ome cases none, and the inrrease is only about equivalent to the total increases given the second division men. Tha Institute hag agreed to accept these proposals, but has reserved the right to ask higher pay if conditions warrant, and will .do so if any other branch of the railway I service received increases above those i now proposed.