THE RAILWAY SERVANTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8284, 17 June 1890, Page 5

THE RAILWAY SERVANTS

CONFERENCE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS. THE DEMANDS OF THE MEN. [BY telegraph.— association.] Wellington, Monday. The Executive of the New Zealand Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants waited on the Commissioners this morning. Tho delegates were Messrs. Hoban (president), Edwards (general secretary), Haydn, Winter, Owen, and Elvuae. Mr. Hoban explained what had let uk to the formation of the Society, and said it must be admitted that ib had been of much benefit to the employees. It was not the intention of the executive to be antagonistic to the Commissioners, but, on the contrary, they wished to establish friendly relations with the Commissioners. lii fact, the Executive would prove to be of great value to the Commissioners, as instead of every petty grievance being referred to the Commissioners, the Executive would take upon themselves the responsibility of adjudging small complaints, and if they (the Executive) thought those complaints were worthy of consideration they would forward them on to tho Commissioners ; but if on the other hand they found them frivolous they would dismiss them. As to the popular impressions that the delegates would be " marked men," they relied on the honour of the Commissioners, Mr. McKerrow said they could not allow the Executive to be the medium for workmen's grievances. If a workman had a complaint it should be forwarded through the proper channel to his superior officers. A long discussion ensued on this question, during which it came out that the men were under the impression that they did not always receive fair play at tho hands of their superior officers in the event of a complaint being laid. Mr. McKerrow denied this statement, and said such a case had never been brought under the notice of the Commissioners. Mr. Winter replied that he was not in a position to mention any particular case, but ho thought the Commissioners would agree with him that it was quite within the range of possibility that such might happen. Mr. McKerrow was not inclined to admit this. Messrs. Edwards and Owen made a further explanation on the point, and the Commissioners eventually agreed to receive complaints which might be made through the channel of tho Executive. Tho deputation said this was all they asked, and Mr. Hoban thanked the Commissioners for tho decision they had come to. The next question gone into was that of boy labour, the members affirming that the number of cadets taken on was greatly in excess of the vacancies that occur, and after a lad had finished his apprenticeship in the mechanical department the rate of wages was not at all in keeping with the services rendered by him. > In reply to this Mr. McKerrow pointed out that the Commissioners did not undertake to find cadets journeymen's billets after they completed their apprenticeship. Mr. Edwards said that if the Commissioners agreed to the terms of tho executive it would be of immense benefit to tho department, and the men would bo paid fair wages.

Mr. Winter said at present) boys were not taught their trade properly, and in many cases as soon as a boy finished his apprenticeship he was dismissed. In other men cases men were kept on as improvers when they should be in receipt of journeymen's wages. This, the deputation contended, was simply a means of keeping down wages. Mr. Owen referred to the fact that lads were employed as firemen on engines, anil this he thought was scarcely conducive to safety. It was admitted, however, that such was the exception and not the rule, and the Commissioners agreed to givo the matter their attention.

Speaking of the clerical departments, Mr. Haydn said ib was an injustice to men, when they had reached a salary of £140, that they had to remain at that for an indefinite! period, and suggested a rise after that figure should be a yearly one. Mr. McKkrrow romarked that the same fault would bo found in every service. After a man bad reached a certain salary, it was difficult to give him a yearly rise. Mr. Maxwell did nob think cadets had much to complain of in regard to wages, as £110 was an ample salary for a young man of 20 or 21.

The Commissioners promised to givo effect to the suggestion that, where possible, the shunters employed should not be under '21 years. Mr. McKkkkow said the Commissioners had no intention to flood the workshops with boys, but would take the whole question of boy labour into consideration and give the Executive a reply in writing. Ho acknowledged he had received information from the deputation which he had not known before, and promised to work towards the suggestions made to the Commissioners, but hoped the Executivo would nob bind them to any cast iron rule. An adjournment till throe o'clock was then made.

The conference between the executive of the Railway Society and the Railway Commissioners was continued at three p.m. Mr. Hoban said the men desired that the eight hours system be oberved on the railway, as in other trades. Mr. McKkkkow asked whether it was intended that the eight hours should be counted from the time a man went on duty, whether lie was actually at work or not 'i

Mr. HOBAN replied in the affirmative, as lie thought it was only fair that the time should be taken from the hour a man went on duty. If he worked over eight hours the executive were of opinion that he should be paid overtime. Mr. McKkkkow pointed out in the case of engine drivers that this could scarcely be carried out. When men entered the railway service they know that they would have to be on duty long hours, although in that time they might not have done one hour's work. Engine drivers often had to stand four or five hours at a station, and he did not see that it was fair that they should be paid for that time. For instance, a man who had charge of an engine on a country train might have to stand at a station for several hours a day, and if he were to bo paid overtime for this, he would be in receipt of higher wage than a man who would drive say an express train for eight hours at a stretch.

Mr. Hoban contended that Mr. McKerrow's view was nob a fair one. The men were quite content to work eight hours, and did not want overtime. They did nob want to make money at the expense of their workers.

Mr. Rqtherham (locomotive superintendent) said he knew for a fact that enginedrivers were in favour of working overtime. Mr. Hoban questioned the correctness of this statement, for the executive were in a position to say that the men wore quite content with eight hours' work. Mr. Owkn compared the position of the engine-drivers in New South Wales with the engine-drivers in New Zealand, showing that the former were much bettor off in respect of hours than the latter, the rate of pay also being higher. The Executive, however, were quite aware of the difficulties in the way of the Commissioners, but still these did not undermine the principle. They did nob ask for big pay, bub urged that instead of paying one man for a day and a-half's work, the Commissioners should give employment to another man. He (Mr. Owen), as an enginedriver, would state emphatically that all they wanted was a fair day's work without any overtime, and a fair rate of wages. The efforts of the Commissioners to run tho railways economically were ably seconded by the men themselves, and he hoped the Commissioners would take this fact into consideration. Mr. McKhkrow admitted that the staff worked admirably. Continuing, Mr. Owen pointed out that in Victoria a driver, who was paid by mileage, often received £1, and had only been on duty six hours. The executive did nob demand anything of this kind from the Commissioners. Mr. McKerrow said that if the Society's demands in regard to drivers and firemen were acceded to, and the eight hours' system rigidly enforced in intermittent labour, the cost of working the railways would bo increased by fully £50,000 per annum. At present the railways were not yielding i sufficient to pay interest) at home, and i

1 therefore the Society must remember that the £50,000 would have to come off the settlers by taxation. Even if the eight hours' system were not enforced to the letter the increase in the cost would be quite £25,000. These figures were approximate, as the Commissioners had not gone into them fully. Mr. Owen said the Society also wished that a driver should not be asked to come on duty until he had eight hours' rest. In reply to Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Hoban said that eight hours was to be considered from the time a man went on duty irrespective of whether it was continuous or intermittent labour. The Society asked that for all classes, and although the cost might be increased at first, yet it would be made up to to the Commissioners in the long run. Mr. Winter admitted that there were some difficulties which would have to be overcome by mutual consent. What the executive was aiming at was to establish the principle that the men in the railway service were not allowed to engage in any other pursuit, so that when a man was on duty long hours, even although he might not be working the whole of the time, he could not fill up his spare moments with other work. If the Commissioners claimed a man's body and soul they should be prepared to pay him for it. He agreed with his colleagues that the men were quite satisfied to work eight hours per day, leaving the overtime to the surplus labour, of which there was plenty available. Mr. McKebrow said that would double the number of men in the railway employ, and at country stations it would be a very serious matter, for they would have to keep two stationmasters, two porters, etc. Mr. Winter maintained that was the exception, but Mr. McKerrow replied that the perusal of the Railway Guide would show that what he (Mr. McKerrow) had said was far from being the exception. Mr. Elvinks referred to the cases in which platelayers had to trolly themselves long distances to work in the morning and home again at night, which, of course, added considerably to the length of the day's work. He thought the men engaged in this class of labour should bo paid for the time it took them to reach work.

Mr. Maxwell did not see how this was practicable. Any other tradesman might as well expect to be paid for the time he was occupied in reaching his workshop. Mr. Edwards reminded the Commissioners that in South Australia the permanent way men were allowed overtime for trollying one way to or from the scene of the day's labour. Mr. Hoban expressed a hope that an amicable arrangement would bo come to on the question. The men at present were not contented, and it would be greatly to the advantage of the Commissioners to have the men under them go about their work in a thoroughly contented spirit. At a quarter past five an adjournment was made till eleven a.m. to-morrow, whon the question of the scale of pay will be con sidered.