RATIONING OF WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21068, 30 December 1931, Page 10

RATIONING OF WORK.

THE RAILWAY EMPLOYEES. POSITION IN THE WORKSHOPS. The question of the rationing of work among railwaymen is de;ilt with in a letter received from Mr. S. Ingram, general secretary of the Railway Tradesmen's Association. " A hurried ballot has been taken among as many of our members as was possible before the workshops closed on Saturday last for the Christmas vacation," he writes. "Meetings were also held in the four main centres. The permanent men displayed a sincere desire to have the men under notice retained, but were, reluctantly compelled to turn down the proposal of rationing, owing to difficulties they themselves are experiencing in meeting their obligations at the present time. " The cut in wages early this year, coupled with the wages and unemployment taxes, and supperannuation and si'k benefit contributions, leaves our members with a very small amount of wages to meet their other domestic responsibilities, including payments on their properties, a number of which were obtained through the housing scheme fostered by the departments, and payments for which amount to as much as 35s a week.

" Rationing to sonic e.xtont lias already been introduced in so far as Ihe workshops have been closed for three full weeks for the Christmas vacation. The majority of our members will bo off work for the greater portion of this period without pay; consequently, in view of the difficulties men in the service are experiencing in meeting their obligations owing to their depleted incomes they have decided that they cannot bear any further reduction such as n system of rationing would entail."