THE RAILWAYS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22676, 3 April 1939, Page 14

THE RAILWAYS

to the editoe or rn prim Sir, —Of late we have read of Mr Adam Hamilton’s criticism of the railway administration, in relation to its ability to produce profits; but what we 1 do not hear from this same gentleman is a criticism of the - methods being used by the administrative side of this department, in its dealings with the employees. Such a course would be far* too humanitarian, gnd any line Which does not deal directly with profits finds no place with* him. As there is, grave dissatisfaction throughout the railway service on account of the treatment meted out to the employees by the management, I propose to write a little on the sub-r feet,. hoping th%t some abler person will throw further light on the dark places. ■ ,' " . . I think that I would be correct in saying that there. Has ' never bec&i a period of greater'discontent , throughout the staff than exists at present, and this discontent may be generally ascribed Mo > method of dealing’with the staff. WithOUfrat this juncture- going into details* I might say that the present management would appear to be totally devoid of feelings for those subordinate to them, and in their methods thing nothing of humiliating to the lowest depths good, honest, good-living, and good-working members of their staff. A very real grievance lies in the hours of employment of members of the clerical staff. One reads at frequent intervals of private employers having been prosecuted on account of working their employees other than the prescribed hours, while 1 am able to assure you that the clerical members of the railway service are called upon, dally, to work hours in excess of those which they should work, and of course without payment. Perhaps Mr Hamilton will look into the causes of discontent among railwayman, find out how it is that men return to their wives and families in a more or less distracted ctate; then, and then only, will railwaymen have anything to thank him for.—-Yours etc., , GRADE VII. March 27, 1939.

[When the letter signed “Grade VII” was submitted to Mr G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, he commented as follows:—“I can only express my disgust at such grossly exaggerated and misleading statements, and my keen disappointment that a member of the service should stray so far from the facts in his extreme viewpoint. I assert, with every confidence, that the conditions under which members of the clerical division of the service work to-day compare more than favourably, not only with those existing in the past, but also with the conditions at present enjoyed by the majority of clerical workers outside the service.”]