RATIONING OF WORK.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20463, 5 February 1932, Page 11

RATIONING OF WORK.

TRAMWAYMEN ACCEPT OFFER. AVOIDING DISMISSALS. Motormen and conductors employed by the Christchurch Tramway Board have accepted an offer made by the Board to ration work, in order that fourteen of their number who would otherwise have lost their positions can be retained. Each man will now stand down tor one day in three weeks during the months of February and March, after which it is expected that men going on leave will ease the position. It is stated that an Order-in-Council recently passed removed the necessity of the Board employing assistant-con-ductors oil trams drawing trailers. As a_ result the Board found its tram-run-ning staff too great, and an announcement was made that fourteen men would not be required after February Ist. The Board then made its offer to nation the work. The men, taking the view that they were making only a small sacrifice on behalf of a section of their number, agreed to the proposal, which became operative on Monday. Position May Base. It is expected that in the two months, when the period for leave for the men commences, ' the rationing will be stopped, and that after this period, which is spread over several months, retirements and the. termination .of the services of other employees through various causes will make it unnecessary to resume the rationing system. A statement. made yesterday was to the effect that if the number of men who leave the service during: the .next twelve months docs not counter-balaii'co the over-staffing that has ; o«e\irred, rationing • : . will. Von tiri.uebut :Mt E. M. Show, the Secretary, of the Tramway Employees ' Union/.pointed "out t liat, the' men had agrqed to the Board's offer for. the two months only; .. '

Offer of Single Men. The single men have offered to stand down and allow the married men, whose responsibilities are greater in the majority of cases, to work in their place. Thus tliev may lotfc two or more days' work during the time the scheme, is in operation. A further offer was made by . the Board to the men concerned,, that they could select the days 011 which' they wished to stand down, provided they: gave the Board adequate notice, and provision will also be made for any man who desires to curtail his next yearns annual leave to the extent of the days he loses through the rationing.