RAILWAY STAFF

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24759, 6 December 1943, Page 4

RAILWAY STAFF

WAGES AND CONDITIONS

MANY GRIEVANCES

INCREASED PAY WANTED Dissatisfaction with the terms of their employment is at present widespread among the thousands of members of the four organisations of railway employees. Grievances concern questions of pay, promotion, holidays, general conditions, and anomalies under all headings. Some of the complaints are many years old and, in spite of numerous approaches to the Government and departmental heads, and in spite of election promises, the men claim'that little satislaction has been obtained. The railway men feel they are being paid very poorly in relation to other workers. As an illustration, it was stated yesterday that the skilled enginedriver who drove a large and valuable trainload of produce to the whai\cs received less than the unskilled man who unloaded the trucks. Some Typical Cases Why members of the Railway Officers' Institute are seeking a higher schedule of pay is evident from a, typical case quoted yesterday. Alter 15 years' service, a single man in 1 J-J was receiving £335 a year gross, or £319 after £l6 for superannuation had been deducted. After nearly 30 years service, the same man to-day is employed in a highly responsible administrative position for a. gross annua! salary of C3BO, but after the deduction of taxes and superannuation he is receiving only about £316. or £3 less than nearly 15 years ago. He is now married, however, and has a wife and five children to support. Besides higher pay. members of the institute seek extra rates for night work. They receive higher pay for Sunday work, and for time worked in excess of 40 hours each week, but stress that many do not get the opportunity of earning this extra money. The point is made in this respect that it should not be necessary to have to work overtime to receive a reasonable living wage. Arrears in Annual Leave Men of the institute also complain that some of their number are three and four years in arrears with their annual leave. They also feel that, when they are employed to relieve men in higher positions, they should immediately be paid the salary for that position. At present, this is not done until the relieving position has been occupied for three months. Emphasising their relatively low rate of pay, members of the Engmedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association stated that first-class engine-drivers who had the highly responsible job of taking the limited express from Auckland to Frankton each evening received 7s 2d for the 2 hours 14 minutes of the journey. That was equivalent to Id a mile, the fireman, according to his status, receiving £d or less. Quicker Promotion Wanted Reorganisation of the service to allow for quicker promotion is also desired by the association. It is stated that acting-firemen have waited 13J years for their appointment as firemen, which entitles them to sit for their second grade drivers' examination. They must pass this examination and do at least eight years before they can obtain senior firemen's rates of 2s Bjd an hour. A further long wait and the passing of the first grade drivers' examination are necessary before a man can gain an appointment as driver. Under present conditions, it is claimed that a man would have to pass all examinations and give 2S or more years service before he can obtain the maximum drivers' rate of 3s 2|d an hour. The 40-hour Week Members of the Railway Tradesmen's Association claim they receive lower wages and experience less generous conditions than men engaged by other employers on similar work. Although there are" variations in pay, a representative rate is 3s an hour, inclusive of cost of living bonuses. For a 40-hour week, this represents a wage of £6, but, after taxes, superannuation and sick benefit contributions . are deducted, many skilled tradesmen are receiving nearer £5 a week, while some men are being paid less than that sum. A majority of the men at present, however, are able to earn between £2 and £4 a week by overtime at rates of time and a-half. Exercising the tradesmen's concern over a long period, has been an anomaly resulting from the introduction of the 40-hour week. To correct this anomaly they have made numerous representations for a general increase of 1.1(1 an hour. Recently the department agreed to pay Id of' the amount in dispute as from October. The men claim that it was promised bv December 1, but they have not yet received the addition, although a wages payment was made last Thursday, December 2. Lack of Leisure Complaint Anomalies in the pay and conditions of members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants were too numerous to detail, according to a member of the society yesterday. Apart from an increase in the present basic wage of 2s 4d an hour, the men desired a general wage increase, longer holidays than the one and two weeks allowed annually at present, and a settlement on the question of holidays in arrears. It was pointed out that many men were suffering in health through lack of leisure. AMOUNT SPENT ON INCREASES GENERAL MANAGER'S J? 10PLY (P.A.) WESTPORT, Saturday Referring to the railwayman's complaints regarding wages, Mr. E. Casey, general manager of railways, said last night that £.11,000.000 had been paid out in extra pay and concessions during the last five years. The senior staff had not received any increase. GREEK GUERILLAS 27 VILLAGES CAPTURED LONDON, Dec. <1 Greek guerillas have captured 27 villages from the Germans, according to a communique received by Greek circles in London. Of these villages, eight were found to be wholly destroyed and deserted, the population having been removed by the Germans. A Cairo report states the village of Voriza, in Crete, has been razed because the inhabitants are alleged to have assisted patriot bands. After shooting two men in front of the villagers, the Germans set fire to the village, and low-level bombers roared over to complete the destruction. Seventy inhabitants who had been hiding to evade arrest wore found dead.