RAILWAY DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 214, 4 June 1919, Page 8

RAILWAY DISPUTE

; THE CASE OF THE LOCO. MEN ! '•'■ ;, - ■■■ _____ ! ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE ! TO BE HELD

CORRESPONDENCE WITH SIR JAMES ALLEN j »• __ i" At the suggestion of the Acting-Prime ! Minister (Sir James Allen), the executive 1 of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen, ! and Cleaners' Association has agreed to ! a iwindMablo conference with the Minis- : ter of Railways and tho General Mana- ! ger This conference will take place on ! Monday next, Further correspondence ' that has passed between tho Acting-Prime j Minister , and the executive is published ! below i .Sir Jemes Alien sent the following rei ply, dated Jtoie 2, to the union's letter, j published in. yesterday morning's paper: i / "Sir,—With reference- to your letter of I even date, I have to state that the Hon. i. ilinister of Railways had an interview ! with the Grand Council of the LocomoI rive Engine-drivers, Firemen, and Clennj ers' 'Association, at Wellington, on I'ebi ruary 13 lest. It was fully understood J 'by the Hon. Minister of 'Railways that j your ■ executive - would ait that interview i • discuss with him, cortain proposals which I. you desired to make in respect of an imi provwnent in'the wages and conditions of ! locomotive men The Hon. Minister and I tho General Manager were not only prej pared to listen to the view your council desired to put. forward in support of I their programme, but were most anxious I to ascertain the grounds on which your ' proposals were 'based. ! "Tho Hon. Minister of Railways and j the Tenrin? and incoming General Manas' ■ eere strongly urged the council to place i fnlry before the Minister the views of I the' ccrunc.il in /support of the olaims of ! the association. The Minister emphasised this raot by stating: "You came to disonss wages and conditions. I want '' ■ to hear your demands and your grievances, the Teason why you put forward these demands, and why you are asking for certain increases in wages, so that I may have the full information before me. Then, when I have obtained similar information from the other two railway societies, I shall confer with my officers, prepare ■ a Hchedule myself, and ask you to select a portion of y'onr council, to go through same with the officers of the Department and myself so that we can prepare, a schedule to 'go before Parliament ■ •: "The reply ffiven by the council to the Eon. Minister's statement as to the purpose of the meeting was in the direction of showing that the council was not au- . thorised to discuss thnt aspect of the matter, a member of the council stating, ,'Wo are here as the mouthpiece of the ■men, who wish to know what your proposals aro. The men say they will decide as to your promise, and not us.' This ■ was emphasised by your president, who . stated. 'Anything brought forward at this interview has first to be submitted to tho men themselves.' "Notwithstanding the?n statements, the Eon. Minister and tho General Manager of. Railways made a further endeavour Ho induce the council to. discuss matters, and to definitely bring forward nil your arguments, with the object-of enabling . the Minister and tho management to arrive at the points to which the greatest' importance was attached, so as. to enable a reasonable settlement to be ar- ' rived at as early as possible. Your ■■ ■council was, therefore, urged to bear in ■ iniml that the amount required, to meet the requests of the different societies represented a very large figure, and that it would lose nothing- by discussing the matter quietly and "logically with the object of helping the Minister, and the management finally to come to a satis- ;. factory conclusion. It was also pointed out that the programme of your association and that of the Amalgamated "Society of Railway Servants would no doubt contain suggestions as to the payment of certain grades which, if granted, wquld create anomalies that would require consideration. It was, therefore, ■ essential that you arguo your case before the 'Minister, and for the other societies to do the same.

~ "The council was assured that the Minister intended bringing down t> n amended schedule, and would afford them,the opportunity of again meeting bim .before tho proposals were- put before Parliament, and that.the measure when passed would dato from April 1, 1919. Notwithstanding this they remained obdurate, and declined to admit the. necessity for any discussion taking place witb ■Hie' other societies, so far as the claims of , the locomotive tneii wore concerned. The question of finance was no concern of' theirs, arid should not, therefore, be considered by tho Minister.

'■So, in these circumstances, the meeting was, on the suggestion of your president, adjourned till February U, on .which date tho same attitude was taken r up by tho council ae at the previous ia"terviuiW although it was submitted that you had that day brought forward a fresh schedule of demands for improved .wages and conditions, that no General Manager could advise the Minister to say 'yes' or 'no' to tho requests without first counting tho cost, that the Minis"ter said he was in > sympathy with you and would improve the conditions. Emphasis was placed on the fact that it would bo unwise for tho council to go cut of the room under such circumstances without first discussing your requests with' those who were responsible to the public, and who must as a matter •of duty count the cost. .

"The Minister said: 'You have altered •your whole programme, you have put "before me practically new matter, and I must consult my officers as to whether they cai; be granted or not. It would be unfair for you and also for me to take out these items. I waut to put the whole of the rajlwaymen on a level basis, nnd there is ho desire on my part to treat you unfairly.'

"Your couilcil Ulon adjourned a few minutes, .and on resuming your president informed the Minister: 'We have deliberated on the position and 1 have ten instructed to leave the agenda paper as placed before you, and request you give us your reply in March, if you want any information in regard to the new. proposals, the general secretary trill fjive it to yon.' The Minister said: 'I .would sooner have the opinions of t&ese gentlemen,' To which the president replied: 'They are not prepared to give then) to you to-day.' "With regard to the'suggestion that a voimfl-tablc conference should be arranged to further discuss the proposals, I have to'state that the Hon. W. 11. Ilerries, Minister of Railways, and tho General Manager of Railways, would bo Quite willing to meet your council on Monday, June 9, at 3 p.m., if that date and time ac suitable to tho council. Tlio questions for discussion being matters that affect tho Railway Department, •which is under the control of the lion. JHaLster of Railways, ho will of course, ,13 usual in such cases, preside at the meeting. A little reflection will, 1 havo no doubt, convince you that another Minister of tho Crown could not permit himself to bo placed in a false position by . presiding over a meeting held for the purpose of reviewing the decision of a colleague concorinn;? that colleague's administration of his own Department. "With referer.ee to the application of the 44-hour week, I would point out that this applies strictly to the "various workshops, and not to the running sections of the maintenance, locomotive, or traffic branches.

I have the honour'to he, Tour obedient servant, ' (Sgd.) J. ALLEN, Acting-Prime Minister." The Conference Accepted. The executive of the. association yesterday cent tlie following reply io tho Acting Prime Minister: — Sir. reply to your letter of .Tune 2 I have the honour to state that your loiter has been duly considered l>y the incentive, and they direct Hint a reply ibe sent as follows:—That tho Government made a distinct charj»p nijainst tho representatives of this association of roto "discuss the details of the Government scheme." This charge we emphatically deny. . Your letter refers to an interview which took place on February 12 last, ant! which was T.-eclfs before tho Governn>pnt scheme" saw the light of day. On 'February 12 unit on February l-J, to ivfiich dales (if interviews your letter j'pfci" the delegates took up the attitude that to place any more .arsunients for our demands before tlio Mitwter

would only make them look lidicnlonfi before their members, if the Minister did uot giro a reasonable answer. Apart from the question of cost, tho Minister would give no reply, and, therefore, .the delegates considered tl at to go back and (ell the members that they had again represented tho demands (and which had been represented and r. presented since the year 1913) and received no further satisfaction, would have, had a very bad effect upon the The delegates, therefore, took up (lie attitude that it would be much better to po buck and tell tho members that Ihe demands had been formally placed before tbe Minister and the delegates would discuss the demands in conjunction with the Minister's proposals when he submitted them. When the delegates were prepared to discuss "tho Government scheme" (hey were met with the bald statem-jnt. that they were final. However, on the date upon which you charge tho association with retain" to discuss matters, and which was tho date upon which Hie demands of the association were submitted, the delegates advised the Minister that they preferred tho general secretary to give him the fullest information, possible on the demands, and thnt lie would do so if tlio request wero made. No request was made for any explanation of the demands, and which was clear proof that the Minister did not require any further enlightenment on the demands. So, therefore, the Government charge, although shifted from tho Government scheme to the associations demands, shows conclusively that the Government is being misinformed. The other points raised in your Utter require no comment herein, except to state that some of them are oontrnrv to Set. The executive oouncil will be pleasod to accept the arrangements made to meet the Minister of Railways, find they do hope that for the sake of industrial peace that some good will eventuate. The executive council • regret-) ihat the Government could not agree to allow a Minister to act as ohairman who had experience in railway administration, and who gave general satisfaction while be was Minister of Kailways. - .The concluding statement with reference to tho «-hour week applying strictly to the workshops does not enlighten this association in any way as to the unfairness of the Government request for this association to accept the scheme as submitted to them. Anyhow, this ie not in keeping'with tho Minister's statement that, if he Rave anything to loco, men ho could not resist it to others in tho railway service.—We are, your sincerely, (Signed) W. M'ABLEY, Gen. Sec. B. W. HENDERSON, President. June 3, 1919.