WEEK-END DIPLOMACY.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 95, 22 April 1924, Page 7

WEEK-END DIPLOMACY.

DEMAND FOR WAGE INCREASE. PEACE EFFORTS WHICH FAILED (By Tciograpn.—spcciai to "Star.") WELLINGTON, Monday. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has brought a long series of negotiations to a climax by ordering its members to cease work at midnight. This ™ decision was only mad! known early to-night, when the reply of the Government to the lw.| demand of the society was handed In thp Press. Then it was seen that nothin X remained out to give instructions for a strike, because the society's demand was as follows:— "To Minister of Railways,— "Sir,—Confirming the president's telepiionc communication of even date, I am instructed by the executive to advise you that, failing some increase in wa'ces being offered by the Government, they will instruct the whole of the railwaymen in second division to cease work at midnight to-night, of the 21st instant.— (feigned) 11. J. Mack, general secretary." To this, after a long consultation with Cabinet, the Minister of Railways replied:— "General Secretary, Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, — '* sir > —I liave to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, confirming a communication by telephone of even date of the president of your society, intimating, by direction of** the executive, that, failing some increase in wages being offered by the Government the executive will instruct the whole of the railway men in the second division tc cease work at midnight to-night. I have to state that Cabinet lias considered yom communication, and I am directed to inform you that, as the society has failed to take advantage of all the opportunities afforded it by the Government o< establishing their claims before » tribunal that would have the confidence of the public, and have preferred to tak« the matter into their own hands by declaring a strike, the action of the A.S.R.S. Jeaves the Government n< option but to decline to comply with the demands made by the executive of the A.S.R.S.—Yours faithfully (Signed) J. G Coatcs." The Final Peace Efforts. The Minister's letter was the culmination of a scries of conversations whicli had continued till the eleventh hour, in the hope of finding a way out of the difficulty which threatened consequences so serious both, to railway men and to the country. At times it looked as if negotiations would be surely resumed. Lengthy Cabinet meetings on Saturday ended with quite a hopeful tone in the atmosphere. It was subsequently found that the Amalgamated Society, after breaking off proceedings before the Wages Board, under Mr. Acland's chairmanship, had suggested to the Government another tribunal which differed in an important respect from the former board. The Wages Board under Mr. Acland comprised a chairman and three representatives from each side, who themselves were the advocates. The latest proposal was for a chairman, with one representative from each side, to whom representations would be made by advocates and witnesses. Their deliberations would thus take place in private, and they could decide on the merits of the case in the same way as a judicial body. The conversations which followed on Saturday night were between Mr. Connelly (president of the society), Mr. Mack (genera , , secretary), and members of the Ministry. It was reported that practically the only question left for settlement was the chairmanship of the board, it being understood it would commence work at the earliest moment. A Hopeless Impasse. These discussions bad to be repor.tsd to the society's executive for confirmation on Monday morning, and it was then that a decision was reached which ended any hope of settlement, the demand being made without qualification for an increase in wages. This has, in the words of the raihvaymen's president, been the paramount issue, but the Government has insisted tliat many matters relating to working conditions —notably that of hours —should also be settled, because railway finances could not otherwise become stable. It was an impasse from which there was no emergence. The railwaymen, it was generally thought, had placed themselves strategically in a wrong position by refusing to take all their demands to the Wages Board for inquiry and decision. The week-end developments suggested that they had decided to retrieve this mistake, but Mom day morning's resolution shows that they were prepared to take the. consequences of placing wages-into "the forefront, aTid insisting on a decision before considering other questions. Extent of the Strike. The Amalgamated Society's membership of over 10,000, comprises guards, signalmen, porters, surfacemen, all workshops . members of the second division except loco, drivers, firemen and cleaners, for whom there is a separate society, while stationmasters and other first division . officers. have also their own organisation. The two bodies not involved in the strike take up the attitude that their members will continue to work at their own tasks. "Railway operations involve so much interdependent working that unless the Department secures a large volunteer.staff it will be impossible to run any but extremely limited services. However, the Minister of Railways informed your correspondent that the, Amalgamated president gave him a verbal assurance that all trains actually running at the time of expiry of the strike notice would be permitted to reach their home station. Always Wages First. Though week-end developments suggested that the men were receding from their attitude of demanding a decision on "wages first," their general policy has been in line with the final ultimatum i to the Government that the alternative to. a prompt increase of wages was a strike. The men's executive spent several days'discussing wages with the Minister before the Wages Board was set up. Efforts were made-to induce them | to discuss 70 other claims submitted to the Government, and.some of these items were actually talked over, but when the men's executive found they could not get a statement from the Hon. J. G. Coatea as to the extent of the increase in wages whicli the Government would concede they broke off the conference. Then tlie Wages Board was mutually accepted, and the same .developments then occurred, Mr. Acland-declining to commit himself to a wages decision without hearing the whole of the demands discussed. The whole negotiations have been conducted, in an apparently friendly spirit, and it was hard to- realise by/those closely i watching ' events and interviewing the rmncipal parties in negotiations that war would be ■declared until tlirre was --writ- '-.- ■ ij -1.1.1 -i ' '• ■" ■ '-' "i'l.C-