Railwayman Resent Delay By State In Increasing Wages

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22808, 1 December 1948, Page 8

Railwayman Resent Delay By State In Increasing Wages

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. The Government's refusal to adopt the wage rates unanimously recommended by the Margins and Anomalies Committee had caused widespread dissatisfaction among tradesmen employed m the railway service, said the president of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association. Mr. A. D. Hennessey, in a statement today.

He added that at a meeting specially called to decide the future course of action the national executive of the R.T.A. expressed resentment at the acting-Prime Minister's proposal to place the recommendations before a tribunal for determination. The association, he said, was determined to explore every avenue to obtain satisfaction on the issue.

Desirous of Maintaining Unity

“Our association acted in co-opera-tion with other State service organisations in work connected with the Margins and Anomalies Committee and is desirous of maintaining the unity observed throughout the lengthy negotiations on marginal wage rates, said the statement.

“We made proposals for joint action, including a joint one-day country-wide stoppage of work, to enable the officers of service organisations to acquaint fully their memberships with the position and to enable the rank and file to express their wishes on any future action they deem necessary.” Mr. Hennessey said his organisation was not interested in the Governmentsponsored tribunal legislation which | was before Parliament. ‘‘Our members regard the setting up of another tribunal at this stage as an attempt by I the Government to evade its responsiIbilitv to its own employees. If it was the Government’s intention to have the matter decided by a tribunal, this should have been expressed 12 months ago instead of setting up the Margins and Anomalies Committee and allowing it to function for nine months at a considerable expense of time and money. 10s Below Tradesmen’s Rate “The railway tradesmen have long resented the inadequacy of their wage rate and the deterioration of their relative position in the wage and salary structure. The rate for fully qualified tradesmen in the railway service is 3s 9d an hour, or E 7 10s a week,” said Mr. Hennessey. “This is the maximum rate and is 10s a week less than the base tradesmen’s rate unanimously recommended by the Margins and Anomalies Committee. It is also 10s a week less than the rate paid by most local authorities to their tradesmen, and accounts for the steady and uneconomic exodus of railway-trained tradesmen from the railway service.”