RAILWAY OFFICERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1924, Page 12

RAILWAY OFFICERS

ATTITUDE IN STRIKE "BEST CALCULATED TO SERVE OUE INTERESTS." Reference to the attitude adopted by the New Zealand Railway Officers' Institute during the recent strike was made in the annual .report submitted to the conference of delegates of that organisation yesterday. Mr. J. R. Robertson presided, and there were also present: Messrs. R. S. Skinner, F. K. Mackay, and V. R. J. Stanley (vice-presidents), L. Barclay (general treasurer), K. C. Morgan (general secretary), and the following delegates :—Messrs. B. Wylde and M. E. Carroll (Auckland), H. * B. Taylor (South Auckland), \V. J. Woodlock (Main Trunk), J. F. Stratford (Wanganui), H. ' Johanson (Palmerston North), F. W. Aickin (Hawkes Bay), F. E. Hunt and M. J. Forde (Wellington), W. J. Smitli and E. J. Chapman (North Canterbury), H. G. C. Simmons (Westland). "j. J. M'Aloon (South Canterbury), J. Duncan (North Otago)., A. T. Pittsway and M. Cumin' (Dunedin), and W. O'Malley (Invercargitf). ''There has been some adverse comment upon the attitude taken up by^us in connection with the recent strike," said the report, "but the general opinion of members appears to be favourable to us. There is no doubt but- that the question of the institute's attitude in future cases of industrial trouble will be very fully discussed when the remit on this matter is reached, and we do not consider it advisable to say any more in this report than that the action taken by us was, in our opinion, best calculated to serve the interests of the majority of the members of the institute." The report stated that of the various matters dealt with by the committee that of the application made for improvement in salary conditions, which provided for the restoration of the "cuts" and an addition of £10 to the maximum salary of each grade as listed in the 1920 schedule, was, perhaps, the most important from members' point of view. In asking- for the advance, the committee had been actuated by the fact that members of the salaried staff had never really made the arrears due to them, as compared with the rest of the salaried stafi in the- Public Service. For many years the schedule compared most unfavourably with that of the P. and T. Department and other Public Service Departments, and in the circumstances the committee considered that to-day members of the first division of the service ' were entitled to the improvements in pay asked for. If that view were endorsed by council, no doubt suitable action would be taken by conference. During the year, continued the report, numerous individual complaints by members were referred to the committee by branch ' committees, and in many instances redress—sometimes complete, sometimes partial—was obtained. HAS STOOD" TIME'S TEST. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, Mr. Robertson said that nearly thirty years had elapsed since the organisation had been brought into existence, and it said much for it that it had stood the test of time. There was talk now of resuscitating the "One Big Union" idea; but after what had passed recently he considered 'that they could proceed with equanimity as a separate organisation, looking after their own affairs, and attending "to the wants of their own members. Mr. Robertson referred to compulsory retirement of members after 40 years' service, which, he said, provided an . open question as to whether it was a blessiug or a curse. Ho also Teferred to the recent strike, which . the conference would consider fully at a later stage; and to the institute's proposed increases in salaries, which, he claimed, were reasonable, as the cost of living had risen during the year. , In cases of individual hardship, and harsh treatment, added the speaker, the institute was of untold benefit to members, for which alone the organisation should be supported wholeheartedly. NIGHT DUTY PAY. On the motion of the Main Trunk branch, it was agreed that night duty should be paid for at an additional rate between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., tho present conditions governing seven hours' all-night shifts to be safeguarded the additional rates to bo as follow :— Cadets, 3d per hour; seventh grade clerks, 7d per hour; sixth grade clerks 8d per hour; fifth grade, 9d per hour: above fifth grade, Is per hour. A proposal from Invercargill and Auckland, that payment for overtime be asked for instead of time off as at present, was rejected.