RAILWAYMEN’S RESOLUTION

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24371, 25 September 1944, Page 4

RAILWAYMEN’S RESOLUTION

STOP-WORK MEETING PROPOSED DISLOCATION OF SERVICE THREATENED Railway traffic over a great part of the South Island will be dislocated next Thursday if action proposed m a resolution passed by the Canterbury branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants yesterday is put into effect. The branch held a special meeting, attended by more than 400 members, to discuss a wages schedule which has been the subject of negotiation between the Railways Department and the union, and the dissatisfaction of the branch with the conduct of these negotiations by the national executive of the union was expressed in the following resolution: “That we request that all negotiations be broken off in regard to any wages schedules: that the executive be recalled from Wellington: that the executive be issued with a further set of instructions; that any further proposals be submitted to branches before finalising; that this branch calls a branch stop-work meeting during working hours next Thursday at 7,15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Every member of the branch on duty must attend this meeting: every member off duty must attend; a roll-call of names to be taken. Every member absent must render satisfactory explanation.” _ ' As many of the day’s biggest passenger trains come into the period proposed for the stop-work meeting, the dislocation resulting from it • will be serious. Among the trains affected will be the 7.25 waterside workers’ train to Lyttelton, workers’ trains to Christchurch. and the south express, which leaves Christchurch at 8.35. Schedule “Fallen Through” The. decisions of the branch were communicated to "The Press” in a statement by Mr A. B. Grant, secretary, who said that an amendment that the stop-work meeing should be held over pending the decision of the Railway Wages Tribunal was defeated by a majority of 10 to one. The resolution was carried by a similar majority. Mr Grant said that after the previous branch meeting, as members were not clear on the facts of the schedule as they affected casual labourers, he telephoned Mr L. Mcllvride, general secretary of'the A.S.R.S. From the information received it appeared that the wages schedule which had previously been accepted by Lhe A.S.R.S. executive proposed: porters and traffic labourers, 2s 6d. 2s 7d. and 2s 8d; labourers. 2s sid; special labourers, 2s 6d and 2s 7d. Mr Mcllvride informed him that the wages schedule as outlined to the branch had fallen through and the whole question had to go before the tribunal. . . Mr Grant said an editorial m the A.S.R.S. "Review” for September stated that “the proposals were not completely acceptable to all sections . , . The night rate could not be accepted by the traffic and shops. ... In subsequent negotiations, however, disagreement between the department and the society became apparent on the point as to what adjustments were considered necessary in the interests of the men. particularly with regard to conditions in the traffic and workshops sections.” “The arguments conveyed in the quotations were just not correct.” said Mr Grant. “In the same number of the ‘Review’ in the minutes of the executive meeting dated September 9 there was a resolution ‘that we accept the amended counterproposals of the department, including the amended flat rate allowance for maintenance work of 6d an hour for adults and 4Jd an hour for females and juniors between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with the proviso that the position relating to the workshops be further discussed as arranged. Differentiation Opposed “The branch was against the proposals in so far as they differentiate between the basic wage workers and the branch had to consider just what action should be taken to impress the executive, the tribunal, the department, and the Government that we would not tolerate any such differentiation. Two proposals were spoken of by members, a one-day strike and a stop-work meeting, “The grievance is not against the tribunal, the department, _ or the Government, but really against the executive,” said Mr Grant. “The position is that now the department can go before the tribunal and we of the A.S.R.S. are faced with the fact that no matter what is now requested we have already previously agreed to a certain schedule. The tribunal certainly would not increase the amounts, but would either confirm the previous agreement or possibly reduce the amounts, “We were not so much concerned about that, but we were definitely concerned with the proposals that affect the basic wage workers. At present all basic wage workers, porters, traffic labourers, and labourers are on 2s 4Jd an hour. No one is entitled to disturb the equality of wages in that group and further tend to destroy the unity of the A.S.R.S.” ___________