RAILWAY MEN'S' GRIEVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 6

RAILWAY MEN'S' GRIEVANCES.

SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE MINISTER. PROMOTIONS DEFERRED. APPEAL BOARD' DECISIONS VETOED.. [To the Editor.] .. V Sir, —As I writ© these .few lines th' 9 Minister for Railways is. making final preparations for his trip to Australia with the intention of investigating railway administration over there with the : ultimate object of applying to our system anything he may consider of valueNow, as a railway worker, I am quite sure that the Minister will pay .close attention to tie conditions of labour existing throughout the various States or the Commonwealth as compared with those existing here. The question. now arises, where will he get his information? From the heads of the Department for certain. Will he receive accurate information in regard-toYthe workers? I sincerely hope he will, but' we know only .too well from past' bit. tor experience, that what appears on paper from "time to time, nsuaJlyj list prior to a general election in the shape of an- amending Classification' Act, ia all right in theory, but in-the actual! practice:.it is- widely different.-:I now speaking from what has.happened here since the last amendment'to-the Railway Classification:' Act became law, under itheHpin.' J. A. Millar's, regime. I think it.is just about .time thepublio ; were informed of 'tne;mebbods'adopted, by the New Zealand' Railway Department in evading the terms of our da* sification—no need for an expert to ao company" the Minister. ..to Australia .to pick: up points to throw at us, by way, of comparison. The Department, are, 'Pastmasters. at'.tho game" of cheeseparing and-latterly they are.not lax in ignoring the statutory' regulations on various matters.- ■..'., />-,-/..'.;...., The Minister, so anxious is> ho tc-ehow a. better result from fheworking;of tihis great Department, has had no hesita. tion in pinching' the workers.'-.- • For many years, we have had classification. Promotions' in, 'many of the grades ol the service are governed by percentages. _ For. instance, on April 1 of .'each year, if there are 100 engine-drivers m Grade I and 150 in Grade 2,' then to. equalise both grades.to conform; with' the Act,.viz:,! 50 percent, of-''the;: total ; number, -in;,both grades,-to.: be : :first grade, that means, promotion of 25 men to Grade,!.-For-the first time

in my : recollection tie operation of'thia system: has been suspended, not a single member receiving promotion.: There is no remedy; The .Minister has told, us he 'has. no'money. -Yet'the other day in Dunedin he quoted figures to show . the" largo increase in revenue for one four-weekly period as compared with the: corresponding period of last year. -Will 'he answer tie following questions when he makes a public statement -in regard -to the results of the past year's working? It will be inter-' estihg: to know, as 'we have always in the .past/ when presenting requests to the Department, been met with the staggering reply that to- give effect tc same would mean an'enormous expenditure. These are-the. questions Air. Editor:—,";:...;•:.:,' -,

(1)' How much; revenue was saved }hj '.the Minister's action, in susV pending: all promotions "for one year?' •; ;: '.'■.'';.""',".':;,.. '/ V; •.■

. (2) How much .money he-iB now saving by employing members at the minimum'rate of pay in a temporary; capacity doing work in a grade higher- than what- they : are rated,on the D 3? -. • .•■'-.,-. - (3) How much expenditure he has saved by emptying men called oh for Sunday duty'the whole day aud booking' them. off intermittently, -.thereby'making one man do".work that', two men 'previously' per-, formed, One' .coming on for half• a 'day.'and .the,;6Uher. a ; full day of 8 hours? ■-•' - ■■'■;'. .'.■■'' : ::>■

Now, in. many, cases the member has to work over a period.of from twelve to fourteen hours, and receives.only a day's;, pay- of eight hours at Sunday rates.. .-. ' ■ '

With Regard to Nq. : 2 question, .per- . Mit me to give -you s.,few.instances of . the unfair treatment the.men concerned are receiving at the hands of;the.De;partinent. There is a regulation.which says, that- members, who are. rated, at two rates of pay will receive the. increment after having, completed a full yclr's service .in the higher,, grade. This refers ,to all men employed in a higher capacity temporarily. The Department now say there, areVno■ men' rated at, two rates of pay, all acting positions . having ; been, abolished . in 1908. Yet there are more men to-day, than ever, performing duties of a higher grade, and yet have no hope.of. receiving the increment, notwithstanding-.tb« fact that many of.them have been performing. these, duties ; for...over . two. years.. The suspension of promotions assists the Department, in keeping these men in, their.'■; temporary.-posi-tions, there being no percentages .to fill up. Further than that, the circumlar -reads, that such service will- not count for, future promotion. Imagine a private employer engaging .a member of his staff temporarily in a : higher position than he had' previously occupied, and telling him that such aa arrangement was. hot to be taken' by hi.m'as a step, towards promotion. ; Turning how to. our-'Appeal Board. What .hope has a man got, be;his case ever so good? He is faced with the fact that the Minister can'and lias "exerciced his power of veto. 'The'present Minister has vetoed more cases than all ■ the other Ministers put together. To show the weakness of the'position Mr. Millar has taken up in this matter, his excuse for vetoing a. certain; case ' was that the caso''had; not been, properly put before the board; I" take it that was, tho Department's fault, .yet because they went to him. and said they had not had a fair chance,' the Minister uses tho veto. I have facts,-and-ean vouch for this statement. ■

I , Whore, then, -'does the -unfortunate ' engine-driver come . in,' who, was, ■ dismissed as a result of" a collision at Marton Junction ? He made;. representa'tions to the Minister to the'effect that he was in possession of further evidence, which would have placed some of the Department's witnesses in a very peculiar position. ; :I refer to the evidenco given before the Appeal Board. This was another, case of tho veto being used. As a result of tho representations made by this man to tho Minister, ho was promised a rehearing of his case, yet, after wooks of suspense, ho received official intimation that the case could: not bo reopened. Where is tho oven-handed justice in • cases of this nature?

In conclusion, Mr. Editor, ■ I wish Mr. Millar and Mr. M'Vflley good luck, and I sincerely hope that on their return they will weigh the actnnl conditions of the N.Z. Railway men in tho balance with those of Australia, and wo need have no foar of the result. —I am, etc., ' RAILWAY WOESER, • March 24. . . '':