LOWER WAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20725, 19 November 1930, Page 11

LOWER WAGES.

RAILWAYS IN BRITAIN. FURTHER CUTS PROPOSED. LONDON", Nov. IT. The British railway companies propose, in addition to tho reductions in wages already announced, that the wages of the workshops pieceworkers should bo reduced by 6s 6d a week, and of timeworkers by 4s 6d a week. It is estimated that tho total reductions will save £11,000,000, roughly 10 per cent, of the annual wages bill.

The executive of tlio National Union of Uailwaymen recently decided thai the policy of the organisatiou should be:— A minimum wage of H2 10s a week for all adult employees, TogelTier with tlie consolidation of the existing war wage of railway shopworkcrs; a guaranteed week for railway shopworkcrs; _ one week's holiday with pay for railway shopworkcrs; all employees to lie brought within the scope of the agreed national and local machinery. The union has been concerned about the heavy dismissals of railway workevs in recent' weeks as a consequence of trado depression. It was slated in the Railway Review, the organ of the union, that on the London and North Eastern Railway there appear to have been more than 2000 men who had received .-once to leave the service up to the end of August. The men concerned were spread over all departments, there being locomotive staff, shops staff, goods men and traffic men involved. 'I be reason given by the company for this step, the journal 'stated, was the serious decline in traflic.