MORE PAY WANTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24138, 3 December 1941, Page 8

MORE PAY WANTED

RAILWAYMAN'S DEMAND

ACTION IN AUCKLAND

IMMEDIATE INCREASE SOUGHT A resolution calling on the Government immediately to increase the wages of railway employees by at least sixpence an hour was passed unanimously at a meeting of nearly 500 railwaymen, held in the railway social hall, Newmarket. The meeting was jointly organised by the Auckland branches of the Railway Officers' Institute, the Amalgamated Society ,of It ail way Servants, the Railway Tradesmen's Association and the Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association. Mr.,J. W. Shepherd presided, and Messrs. F. C. Cleverley, J. Elliott, P. McLennan and C. G. Harris spoke on behalf of the four unions. Although a small minority was in favour of taking some direct action to focus attention on the matter, drastic methods were not advocated by most of those present, and no decision was reached as to what would be the next step if the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, failed to reply satisfactorily to the resolution. Union representatives said yesterday that a strike was practically out of the question. Speakers at the meeting expressed strong disapproval of the way in which the Government had procrastinated over granting a substantial increase in wages and salaries to offset the high cost of living. Repeated requests for higher pay, it was stated, had been made to both the Minister and the management since February. A resolution, which the secretaries of the four unions have been instructed to forward to Mr. Sullivan with a request that a reply be sent before December 15, was passed stating:—"That this combined meeting of the four railway unions, comprising approximately 3000 members locally,. representing all gradings and callings, demands immediate action by the Government to increase our wages at least sixpence an hour. Many railwaymen are living in circumstances which reflect gravely on the Government's failure to adjust our economic position to meet the extremely high cost of living. if it is necessary to expend revenue of approximately £1.300,000 a week on the smashing of Hitlerite Germany and the preservation of democracy, of which we heartily approve, surely it is equally reasonable to spend a much smaller amount on the preservation of the homes,and families of the raihvaymen." The formation of one union in order to obtain more unanimity in securing better conditions for railway servants also was discussed. Failing this, a federation of the four present unions was advocated, and it was stated that unity committees already had been formed in Auckland, Wellington and Wanganui with this object in view.