RAILWAY WAGES

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24386, 12 October 1944, Page 6

RAILWAY WAGES

DEPARTMENT’S REPLY TO CLAIMS

EFFECT OF COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 11. The Railway Department’s reply to, the claim of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants for an increase of 3d an hour in wages, heard by the Railways Tribunal to-day, stated that tiie management regarded the claim as for a flat rate ot increase tor all employees, irrespective of the work on which they were engaged, based on the cost-nf-Mvine argument. So far as the claim for increased wages was governed, by the cost-of living factors, the management considered that such increase must first be approved by the stabilisation commission There were, h9wever, grounds other than .cost of living which might warrant increases in pay to some sections of the A.S.R.S. Dealing with the request that a cost-of-living allowance be incorporated in the classified rate of pay, the staterhent pointed out that the allowance was not at present included when computing overtime and other penal payments, but if it were added to the classified rate it would be so included. The cost of incorporating the present cost-of-iiving allowance in the ordinary rate of wages for the purpose of computing penal rates at present in force is estimated a+ £92.000 a year in respect to employees in the A.S.R.S. and the Railway Tradesmen’s _ Association which, owing to overlap in organisation, could not be separated fpr costing purposes. To apply the principle to all second division employees would increase the cost to approximately £105,000 a year. Claims for Juniors Regarding claims on behalf of junior employees, the management submitted that to accede to the extent desired was quite unjustified. While acknowledging the splendid work of Lie staff during the war years, the statement pointed out that mah hours did not increase uniformly with increases in the volume Of traffic. The position to-day was that the business and revenue of the department had declined very substantially, and at present the gap in the number of staff employed had been considerably lessened by the return of approximately 2100 railwayman from the armed forces, and several Hundred men had been employei! by the direction of the manpower authorities. • The present staff showed an increase of 5.68 per cent, on that engaged in September. 1939. The general tenor of the A.S.R.S. case was that during the last few years a strain had been imposed on railwaymen. and this had already been acknowledged. It was submitted, however, that, as the tribunal was being asked to adjudicate with respect to wages for the ensuing 12 months, considerations relative to existing conditions and tnose in prospect were more relevant.