STAFF SHORTAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1944, Page 4

STAFF SHORTAGE

STATION DINING ROOMS

An explanation of the recent stoppage of work by members of the staff in the railway refreshment rooms at Wellington was given in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Railways (Mr. Semple), in reply to an urgent question by Mr. F. Findlay (National, Hamilton). Mr. •Findlay asked whether the public could be assured that the grievances of the girls concerned would be investigated and that there would be no further breaks in the service during the busy holiday period ahead. "Dining-room waitresses protested to the district man-power officer about the staff being insufficient to give reasonable service to patrons, and complained that conditions from shortage of staff v/ere throwing too great a strain on their physical resources," said Mr. Semple. "There are at present five members absent through sickness, but the real difficulty arises from the inability of the district man-power officer to replace the girls whom he has been releasing over a considerable period of time. "The man-power officer assured the refreshment branch recently that six girls would be directed to commence duty on or before December 11. Until this number is available only light refreshments will be available in the evenings. "The Department requires at leaft 50 additional girls to staff the various refreshment rooms throughout' the Dominion, including 15 for the Wellington dining-rooms during the hoi' day season/V