RAILWAY WORKERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10100, 14 October 1918, Page 5

RAILWAY WORKERS

GRIEVANCES OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS STATEMENT BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. The following statement has heen issued. bv the Executß e Council of tho Now Zealand Locomotive Engineers’* Firemen and Cleaners’ Association relative to their claims for increased wages and better conditions: —In view of the discontent which is existing among the locomotive men in New Zealand at present, the Executive Council of the N.Z. Locomotive Engineers’, Firemen unci moaners’ Association desires to piece before tho public tho whole tacts relative to its endeavours to bring about a settlement ol the trouoie. towards tne end of the Liberal uoverument’s term of omce tne late Eon. J. A. Miliar, then Minister lor Manways, visited Australia and particularly investigated tne conditions of locomotive men in the States, with a .view to removing the discontent of tho locomotive men in New Zealand regaining tbeu pay being less than Australian rates.

Xue association was advised by the Minister that he would take steps to place the loco, men in a better position regarding wages than -they- were in New Zealand when compared with Australia. Before this could be carried out, tne Government was defeated; and ■although the executive pressed their claims before the present Minister, he gave preference to tho members ox Division one in the service. This left the members of the loco, service at the commencement of the war in a very unfair position, which has caused considerable discontent amongst tho members, heightened at periods by the increasing cost of living. The Executive Council at the commencement of hosilities,assured the Government that they would give every assistance towards winning the war, and this has been loyally observed up to tho present, when the position appears to be getting beyond control so far as the executive is concerned, and they have therefore decided to appeal to the Government to do the fair thing to the men, otherwise the truce is declared over. In order to .exhaust all legitimate means of bringing-about an adjust--ment of the men’s grievances, a petition was presented to the House praying that the association he allowed to come within the provisions of the Conciliation' and Arbitration Court, the, executive considering that ..this would, bo a solution of tho difficulty. This petition was referred to the Government for consideration. In a letter to the association dated May 20th last, the Minister states that when all the men on active service return to the Dominion on the conclusion of the war and indicate that they desire a change in the direction advocated,,by your executive, the matter will receive ‘further consideration. Tho executive Council ■had’ ‘taken a"ballot shortly after the war broke out and a majority of the members decided to, come under the Act. but those who voted against the proposal did so because they cqn.sidered the Act as administered was more -useless than the present method. At the present time reauests are being sent in bv branches urging the Executive Council to take a secret ballot of the whole of the members of the association, as to whether the association will continue the cap-iu-hand .method' of demand some means of redress ’where the department will not he employer and judge both. The members of the executive who have considered the matter think that this certainly would he the most opportune time to take such a vote as the members of the association are now mostly married and consequently the weakest link in the chain. It is argued that if such a vote is postponed until the members come back from the front and who represent fully one-third of tho members, that they will vote according to the training given to them by the Government during the last four years, namely, fight for freedom and iustice. All the members who have returned up to the present have shown that they do not appreciate the treatment meted out to their calling while away fighting for the Empire’s freedom, and are showing particular discontent. The superannuation fund which at one time was a large deciding factor in any ac- • tion decided upon by the men, has now been. almost put out of consideration, as the . Government has shown, that when necessity arises it is torn up, and besides the men are firmly convinced that after the war there will be a political revolution, and the iustice of their action under such conditions as existed will he admitted and the benefits restored. The Executive Council is faced with the fact that there is hardly a man in the loco, service who is satisfied with his conditions of work and wages, especially in comparison with the improvements brought about in outside workers’ conditions. Whether the present executive will remain in office or not depends upon tho attitude taken np by tho members of Parliament, who are asked to intervene in the interests of the public of New Zealand. The resignation of the executive will be an indication that the truce is ended and the rest remains with the members ~,, Night duty is a particular grievance of tho men. who are asking for a penalty rate for it. with the object of its redaction.