RAILWAY WAGES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 October 1924, Page 5

RAILWAY WAGES

THE NEW CONSItIONS. BOARD'S REPORT TABLED. (by TELEGKaBH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. • In the House to-night the Minister for Railways (the Hon. J. G. Coates) laid on the table the report of the board appointed to investigate wages and working conditions in the railway service. : Discussing the paper, M ; r W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) said the nett result of last year’s work had shown an improvement in every phase- of the Department" and as a consequence railways earned a slightly higher percentage than that fixed by the Act. He made an appeal for better treatment of casual employees and deprecated the practice of running Sunday trains and of starting trains just before midnight on Saturday, to., the detriment of employees. Extra pay to men for night work was the greatest concession ever made to them. He appealed to the Minister not to deal too harshly with the men just because, they had been led into a fatal mistake by their leaders. There never should havebeen a strike on the railways, but he asked the Minister not to judge the men harshly, but to take their general record," which was one of efficient - and faithful service. Vindictive treatment would only recoil on the Minister himself. Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) . said Mr Veitch now tried to throw the .'whole blame of the late strike on ... the leaders of the A.S.R.S. This was a serious reflection on the common sense and intelligence of railway meii, whom it.made appear incapable of thinking for themselves. He repudiated that" charge, aml regretted that it had been made by an ex-railway worker. .. With regard to the board's report, lie did not agree with the findings of the board, but as the Government had accepted them he contended that it was a fair thing that the terms and conditions of the findings of the board should be' carried out. . • - •

Mr Holland referred specially to the ballot now being held, from which casuals were being excluded, wlv»i the board had only recommended the exclusion of apprentices and juniors. This meant that from four to six hundred men were deprived of. air opportunity to vote regarding the conditions, under which they must .workv Then, again, why should the traffic men be excluded' from the ballot? He deprecated the Minister’s policy of differentiating between sections of 'railway workers by working some 44 hours and some-48 hours per week. This would only create irritation in the service. It seemed to him that the A.S.R.S. men were being penalised because of the strike, which was simply the result of economic conditions, and this vendetta against the A.S.R.S. was not going to improve matters. Until we got at the root of the evil and gave the meii. a voice in the management- of the railways there would be no permanent peace in this great Department. Mr L. Mcllvride (N apier) said the bght was not over; and If the Minister failed to treat the men generously they would find means of retaliation. He moved as an amendment that' the report be referred back-to the court with, a recommendation that- the agreement of February 3, 1921. be reverted to.

The amendment was seconded by Mr W. J. Savage (Auckland West). In dorng so he said the only sure (remedy for industrial unrest and strife was to r .ive workmen the. responsibility of a

■oke in the management of the industries in which they were employed, Mr S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said the Minister had keen mast unfair in permittimr the impression to get abroad that the railway men were being supplied with houses at S.s per week, because that applied only. to. .a very ’imbed extent. He appealed to the Minister to remember that many men were receiving pay on which they could not live, and bring up a family, and he expressed the hope that the Minister would, of his own volition, .provide the desired remedy.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr T. M. Wilford'r said the Liberal Party had since 1914 supported the principle of a board of ; management for .the railways, on which the meii would be represented. They had this session supported extra nay for night work and also the 44-hour, week. ; , A division was then taken .oil Mr Mcllvride’s amendment, which was rejected by 30 votes to 25. " .

The Hon. J. G. Coates, in reply, said it was the intention of the Government o put into operation the recomifiendations of the board. The Government had not asked for the board—the men had asked for it. They had refused to go on with the first board. He thought in that they had made a mistake, hut that was for the men to decide.. They would now be running the railways on a new basis, and if as a result of that change they were ultimately able to nay the men night rates and give them other concessions they would dp that. They were also going to make a reduction in freights. Mr AV. E. Parry (Auckland 'Central!.: And take it but of the hides of the men. • ‘ '

Mr Coates said the Government had no intention of treating the men unfairly. but they could not go on increasing pay and shortening hours. In a short time he hoped tliev would get into the position in which the people of New Zealand would sav that the (railway men were entitled to better pay and better conditions. 'There was ho intention to victimise the representatives of the men’s associations would always he carefully listened to.

The paper was then laid on the table, and the House rose at 12.50 a.m. till 2.30 n.m.