RAILWAYMEN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 June 1924, Page 7

RAILWAYMEN

BOARD OF INQUIRY. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) „ WELLINGTON, June 17. Commenting on Mr Sterling’s speech, Mr Connelly stated that it would take £215,000 per annum to put the men back on the 44-hour week, not £250,000, as had been stated. Reviewing the position of the superannuation system in the early part of the century, he stated that contributions had been increased by 66 per cent. This had been purely because of the fact that high-salaried officers had been retiring on big superannuation. The basic wage worker had been penalised ever since and would continue to be so until 25 years, which it would take to work off the £3OO limit, had passed*. He attacked the statement bv Mr Sterling showing the maximum rate of pay earned by fitters, not the miminmum, which was -ijd below that provided by the award. He complained as to thecondition of the houses which were supplied to workers. Rooms were small, and hot water was not to be had. Though rent was cheap the results were cheap also. Besides, the houses were put there not from altruism, but because the Department simply could not get men to go there otherwise. The ‘‘raid on wages” was right in conflict with the Department’s pronouncement that the men should be given an incentive to work. The Department Should not ask for results first. He instanced the Orongorongo tunnel, where there had been no foreman, and where men, having got work on fairly good terms, had actually drawn £BO or £9O per month. Similarly on the West Coast, tunnellers in a co-operative, party had drawn from £SO to £65 per month. His Honor: Of course you know that in these cases they not only eliminate ‘•bosses” ; they eliminate “duds” as well.

Mr Connelly: Yes; but the Department gives men no inducement. His Honor : They have always their chance of promotion by seniority or merit, or is it seniority of merit? Continuing, Mr Connelly denied that men received time *nd a quarter for overtime. , When it came to computing overtime, it was done on the basis of a 48-hours week. Thus, whereas a service man received 2s 3d an hour, outside men would receive 2s 6d. The trend of decisions of the Arbitration Court in New Zealand was to reduce hours, not to extend them. He argued that men’s hours should be brought down to 44 p.er wee'v If the Department could run the service for locomotive men on lower time they could allow their workers shorter time. The Board should take into consideration’ at what rate the services being rendered the community by. the railways were being paid for. The cost of working the railways had crept -up, hut if was no fault of the workers. The Court adjourned.