MORE SUPPORT OFFERED.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 102, 29 April 1920, Page 6

MORE SUPPORT OFFERED.

BY AMALGAMATED ENGINEERS WILL DOWN TOOLS IF ASKED TO VOLUNTEER. The support of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, even to tbe extent of downing tools im mediately, has been assured the E.F.C.A. in the event of any member of the former organisation being used to the detriment of the latter association. This decision was conveyed to a packed meeting of the E.F.C-i.., every member being accounted for, in the Trades Hall yesterday, by Mr. R. F Barter, secretary of the Amalgamated ■Society of Engineers. At the meeting were also the Labour members, Messrs. Bart ram and Parry, and -Mr. Hi-key, late organiser for the Victorian anj. Queensland railways. In leading up to this decision, Mr. Barter said that he was astounded at the smallneas of the margin between the basic wage and the maximum payable to the drivers of the New Zealand railway service. He said that without dot_bt they were the smallest-paid of their class in the English-speaking world. ■England and America both pay one hundred per cent over the basic wage as a maximum. In further comparison of the conditions prevailing in New and other countries an official of the E.F.C.A. stated that in England the drivers had no broken shifts, were p.iid for eight hours every time they booked on duty, were -paid between 10 p.m. and 4 a__i., tinie-and-a-quarter for all time worked over eight hours in one shift, and were given twelve offhours between shifts. In addition tliey received considerable concessions in the way of clothing. Another officer of the E.F.C.A. stated that in America engineers received 100 per cent over the basic wage as a: minimum, the basic wage in that country being approximately four dollars.! The wage of an engineer on a goods train was eight dollars per day, while' drivers on passenger trains made from £SOO to £1000 per year, being paid on a mileage basis, one hundred miles constituting a shift's work.