POSITION OF GUARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18685, 15 April 1924, Page 10

POSITION OF GUARDS.

; NP SEPARATE BODY. f ", : FC... -. ■% "V: ■■.;.* ■■■■ ••"'"•;"' l DENIAL OF STATEMENT. CASUAL EMPLOYEES' STATUS i? ;"' The suggestion that the railway guards -' are eonSmeriDß the formation of 5 . a * separ- " ate organisation .' is • not seriously considered ;hi Auckland raUwaymen. A. pro- ' minent - official of .the Auckland j branch :": of the A-S-JS-S., in discussing the matter last evening, said such a project , had never been under : th© consideration of "•'■'■■■ the branclu ' The policy of the A.S.R.B. was, he Baid, " one union for one ini pastry, embracing all sections of the ser--vice.'* '~, ' -.■.'■■; . t.'} •"<>.;'•"«/'•' There was no suggestion that the guards ? were being, or would, or," indeed, could, ": be used to further the interest of casual . employee*- It was not *° '** forgotten " that the president, of the A.S.R.S., Mr. >'-* M. Connelly, is himself a guard, while '"- the general secretary, Mr. M. J. Mack, !s is an eai-guard.. '. 'T : ;\y^-i... '•■",;••'' •/ ' The idea of & breakaway on the part '"?-of the guards had never been suggested, x "and ■* * the ''present juncture;, above all « ; times, they were certainly, not t likely to ■■■' penalise their position by any precipitate ■ ; action. The A.S.R.S. : had, so far as ;he knew, never received any complaints from y the 1 guards in . regard to ; the society or its .. \ -operations. :V ;.. ■ '". •■'.'■''"■•'',"" The suggestion that the casuals were I '-''■'{* prepared to make a sacrifice," and, go ' on Wisi»,«is scouted? and it was ? pointed. out , that there are ; not, as bad been stated, 3000 casual employees, but only about ■ 120 Q. The question is. asked: How ban "the casuals intimate that they, as a v-wholo, are in favour of a strike, except ' by ballot among themselves? No such - balWi has been taken. .■•-;:;■ y •-.,-. ThiS official, in dealing wife the position •'''•■' of the v; casual*, emphasised the .*sacrifice w<it would mean for these workers to down tools," seeing that they have not the security rof tenure of employment that the permanent" man enjoys. The wages •' -of : fliie casual are, generally peaking, on - a lower scale than .those of the permanent '-'men''"*' -"--;• - -- ->v«' • The statement - that has gone forth as - to ■% : split \in ' the ; ranks tis looked upon by tix& Auckland r branch officials, as a ■* «^ B tatr in the back," made, .too, a* a thne when unity is, above all things, necessary. v " It a evidently the expressed oSnfon of one individual man,* .; said XVmmL ? "and will carry.no weight with those' whoTally know the true posttion." . < ; ' ■-• '-