RAILWAY DISCONTENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17351, 24 December 1919, Page 9

RAILWAY DISCONTENT.

FIRST DIVISION GRADING.

PROTEST FROM CANTERBURY.

[BY TELEGBAPHOWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHKISTCHUECH, Tuesday. The following resolution was passed at a largely-attended meeting of the first division of railwaymen last evening: — " That the executive committee be asked to instruct the Wellington subcommittee to interview the Minister and the general manager immediately, and demand that the 1919 classification list be withdrawn and recast or amended, in accordance with promises given by the general manager that grade promotions would be made before the £45 . cost-of-living bonus was added. It is the opinion of this branch that action must be taken at once, as the indignation of capable officers superseded is acute. Discontent is rife throughout the district. When an amendment of the classification list was being considered the Railway Officers' Institute agreed with the general manager that promotion should be by merit on the clear understanding that a fair thing would be done by the general manager. It was pointed out that members with the qualifications could be promoted over those above them on the list who had failed in some particular direction.

" When the D 3 list was issued it was found that able and deserving officers had been superseded. Not only have numbers been superseded, but in a considerable number of cases very able and deserving officers have been actually disrated a grade and their chances of promotion are now very remote. The late general manager (Mr. E. H. Hiley) and the present general manager (Mr. R. W. McVilly) gave a definite promise to an influential deputation from the officers' executive which waited on them in April last in Dunedin that libera] treatment would be meted out to all officers when the D 3 classification list for 1919 was being compiled That is to say, the deputation understood that all officers in turn for promotion from a lower to a higher grade would receive such promotion, and all officers due for sub-grad e promotion would also be placed in the next higher sub grade, and, in addition, £45 would be added to each man's salary to compensate for th e increase in the cost of living."