RAILWAY SERVANTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 81, 5 April 1919, Page 7

RAILWAY SERVANTS

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS

SATISFACTION ‘ IN WELLINGTON

Interviewed after the executive o£ the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants ;had been informed of the concessions made to railwavmen of the second division, Mr 'R. Hampton, president, expressed general satisfaction .at the improvement in wages and working conditions. '“while we have not got all wo expected,” he said; “the concessions granted are undoubtedly a great auvance on previous conditions, and should go a long way towards allaying the unrest prevailing in the. service. This wilt especially be the case over the adoption of the eight-hour day principle, as theto 'was previously no ; limit to t|ie number'of hotirs a man' could be worked in one day, the only limit being 48 hours in one "wees, while even this weekly limit did not apply in cafle pi porters, who are now. included" in the eight-hour day system. The principle o* • ’extra pay for. night' work has also been recognised. The . concession of the 44-hour week to workshops’ employees is also - an improvement ■ which will give a great deal of satisfaction.’’ “So. far as actual wages are concerned, what we will actually receive will not constitute' a great deal of ah advance, other than the conversion of war ■ bonuses. into "a. flat rate. This,: however, gives- us greater security than the bonus

Systerm There ; are matters of. detail in; connection with the ’proposals vie made whidu-'';-the'-Department and Minister have been unable to concede, blit taking the concessions as a whole, 1 am of iVpinion tnat the Minister and management have endeavoured to meet the heeds of the position, and so'far as our ’society is; concerned,- 1 can; say that throughout prolonged and intricate negotiations they have met us in a cour'toons,- sympathetic way, with a desire to do something really worth '.while, something of practical '-value- to - the’ members .of the railway service.’’ r 01HNI0X~IN AUCKLAND.

“A GHEAT - mpRUTLMENT.' ’ Local official!' of the Amalgamated, Society of Ftailiviiy Servants,; says the’ Herald, on' • th*.-: concessions offetod by the Department to the second division railwaynien, saia the offer wouldmeaxi a great improvemeni in working' condition*;- '"jijhilo the me,nj. would ■ have- the; safci.«faction ol knowing that, the increases' in' wages that had been granted by way ,-qf ,bohuses would become' permanent. ’Satis- ' faction -was., exprefsed 'at - the; adoption, of the eight-houir principle for traffic jnes : and of tiro ,44; hour week ; 'for; workshop employees. 1 A member - of stuff, •- referring to The new schedule; qf wages,, hud • that the chief , ‘ ■ factor" ■ l whitb prompted the mefppers of the workshops staff to accept the schedule was the fact that they would hje l ;-paid at pyoriimei rates for.the four .hours nq.w joeing Wprked' in • exiJesss of - ';ih© 44-hdur Weeh ’ nhitil the hew;. .condltipiis- v came into--operationn n aA the. were to hfe totrospectivo' to. April ;1. He said this , e f ■ fneu . d*' ■' suporaimtsliion charges would So deducted from their' wages Jrdmthe dkt® mentioned, and the overtimesaiHowaiuoe would tompensato for the deduction. He added that dis-satisfac-, lion was felt at the. Department’s action in granting an pay ’ to' leading ' fitters -and' leaving other lead-; ing hands' at their present rate of trt>. This-was . creating a# anomaly vlnch V?ould probably t&nd' tc> the discontent 1 at prpsettt -existmg, as, far a*; the tradesmen were concerned. Regarding certain made by. the society which . the Minister had been-unable to concede, he said 1-hat the abolition of the Minister* ”etc in ippeal catosi and of the harrier, between the: first and second divisions in the service were held to be important matters .by ' the society, andl _-efilAs, to Ibtain the concessions would doubt* less be continued. There, were: also Ather matters of detail which the men considered should -hayb beeji conceded. ( toch: as the granting of privilege tickits qr . the railways to the children ot railwaymcn, and the ■ •removal- of- .the embargo on the 1 use. of privilege tickets and passes by tV during, the holiday season, ’ Regarding the fact;- that the executivo of the FnginedHveto and Firemen’s Association had asked for time to consider the s proposals, be said the schedule' find, conditions submitted to til©'Amalgamated So cietv, tand If omy-yaddihibclal* concestionfi ■ were made to. the assoouitiqtl the .Whole' question would have to , be reoptmed; as the members of the Amal gam a ted Society would not tolerate the granting of extra concessions to an Hthe.r branch of the eervice J■; . , I- ■ V •>. ;■ ■ i V ■