RAILWAY STAFF

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24653, 24 August 1945, Page 6

RAILWAY STAFF

SHORTAGE OF TRAINED PERSONNEL

‘‘POSITION HAS NEVER BEEN WORSE ” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, August 23. “The staffing position in regard to trained personnel in the Railway .Department has never been worse,” said Mr W. W. Chitty, chief clerk at the Auckland railway station, before the Industrial Manpower Committee. Mr Chiity opposed an appeal by a guard, Charles Gordon Jones-Prichard (Mr Haigh) against not being allowed to leave the department in order to become a full-time poultry-keeper. , “There are men in the department whom I would help to get out if I could, but I cannot afford to lose even that type,” Mr Chitty continued. At the present time there were vacancies for guards everywhere in the district. A total of 145 men of the second division was expected to return from the armed forces, but it was not known when they would be available. The taking of reservists for the last Middle East replacement draft had been the heaviest blow the department had suffered during the whole period of the war. Mr Haigh submitted that it was in the economic interests of the country that the appellant should be allowed to leave the department in order to give full-time supervision to his fiveacre poultry farm at Henderson. He had been with the department for 16 years before he was appointed a guard. There were many shunters available with 20 or more years’ experience who could be promoted to fill his position. Evidence in support of the appeal was given by Steven Kuypers, secretary of the Auckland branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. He said he thought the railway staff was numerically stronger than 12 months ago. There were plenty of shunters available throughout the Dominion, and he knew of men who had been porters for 15 years. The slow rate of promotion was a burning question with the society. The witness realised that promotions to some extent were held up owing to the housing shortage, but he did not think the appellant should be penalised on that account. The appeal was dismissed.