RAILWAY PAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 91, 19 April 1939, Page 8

RAILWAY PAY

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —I think it is about time the Government gave a little thought to the railway workers (second division). You have only to read the "Railway Review," and notice the number of men resigning each month. I wonder what the reason can be. Evidently they are waking up to the fact that there are plenty of better-paid jobs outside the Government. Of course the Government is responsible for the better wages on outside jobs, but why not give a little consideration for its own employees? I heard Mr. Savage say repeatedly (before the election) that £5 per week was not even enough for a man to bring up a family on, and he was going to see to it that every man got a decent living wage. Yet the poor railway man can go on getting £4 11s a week, and is expected to say nothing, just carry on, and pay his way.

Take the cost of living for instance. We are worse off now than during the depression. We certainly got the cuts but then the cost of living was on a par. Take butter, lOd and Is per Ib, compared with Is 6d today; flour 3s 6d for 251b bag; today it is 4s 9d. Sugar 61b for Is, today 61b Is lid. There is a vast difference in the prices, compared with the few shillings we got back when the Labour Government went into power. Then the Labour Government say that wages have gone up. I wish I could see it. I know I had more money for clothing, dentist's expenses, and many other items that do not come under the heading of living expenses then than I have at the present time. Did I hear Mr. Savage says "If we raise wages and then let the cost of living go up we will have achieved nothing." That is exactly what has happened as far as we are concerned. Perhaps some one can enlighten me as to whether this is correct, but I am still waiting, as I heard someone say once (when the Labour Government first went in): "Give it time. It can't do everything at once." | —I am, etc., EX-LABOUR.