A RAILWAY GRIEVANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13979, 8 February 1909, Page 6

A RAILWAY GRIEVANCE.

IRONMOULDERS' COMPLAINT. REDUCTION OF STAFF. A NXMiiKK of ironmoulders, who were recently discharged from their employment at the Newmarket Railway Workshops, waited upon the Minister for Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar) on Saturday morning for the purpose of putting a statement of their position before him. The deputation was introduced by Mr. A. K. Glover, M.P. Mr. Banneld said that several of the deputation had left good positions to accept work in the Railway Workshops, but of the 10 who had been employed in the ironmoulding shop eight had been paid off, and at present six of them were out of work, and although a lot of moulding work was coming into Auckland from outside the Government had practically closed the moulding shop at Newmarket.

Mr. Philip said that he had given up a good position to enter the ironmoulding shop at Newmarket, believing that although he would commence at a lower wage the position would prove a better one in the long run. He worked at Newmarket until December 22, and then received notice thai his services would no longer be needed after December 29. He went off just before Christmas with a bad knee for a week, and a stranger was put on to fill his position. After he was discharged on the 29th that man continued to work for some weeks in the position he had vacated. He thought that as Auckland was one of the most important centres in New Zealand they should have works here just as big as those at Hillside, Addington, and Petone. Mr. Wood stated that a great deal of work which might l>e done, in the Government ironmoulding workshops was going into private hands. Mr. Millar said that, as had been already stated, a. large, number of extra men had been taken on at the various centre* for the purpose of completing arrangements for the running of the North Island Main Trunk service. That work had now been completed, and as the money voted for this special purpose had been spent he had no authority to continue the expenditure, and it had therefore been necessaiy to discharge some 120 men. The Act of last year, which brought all casual hands of live years' service into permanent employment, meant that the Department was thoroughly staffed. Unless there was some considerable increase in the building programme, they could not put on any more casuals. The Department was- being blamed for not being able to do its work as cheaply as outside firms. 'Hie only way to do this was to centralise as much as possible, and so in the various workshops they were trying to confine themselves to special kinds of work. In the event of the building programme being increased, he would be pleased to do his best for them, but the special work for which they were engaged being at an end he could do no more at present.