RAILWAYMEN’S WAGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10544, 22 March 1920, Page 4

RAILWAYMEN’S WAGES

PRIME MINISTER’S FIGURES MEN SAY THEY ARE ENTIRELY MISLEADING. EXODUS FROM THE SERVICE. In view of the statements recently made by the Prime Minister about railwaymen’s wages, information about tho men’s case has been proffered by tho publicity committee which has been set up in the North Island.

“NO APPLICATION.” # The committee had a good deal of criticism to offer regarding the figures quoted by Mr Massey. These, they said, might convey a great deaj to the inexperienced public, but really were quite misleading. Mr MaeSey’s quoted rates, of pay for different branches ol the service actually applied _ only t« men who were working excessive hours —7O to 80 a week —and whose pay included the time and a quarter allowance and Sunday pay. The figures did not apply to the rank and file'of the service at all. If these men got thu money they certainly earned it. The committee cited a passage of Mr Justice Stringer’s report in which he stated that railwaymen did not suffer through being put off on account of bad weather or the non-arrival of materials. Their comment on this was that as matters stood railwaymen had to work whether they liked it or not, and at tho end of the week they were no better off than men employed on an hourly basis. Air Massey’s reference to sick pay they considered was worded so as to give the public the impression that tho second division was- entitled to this benefit, whereas the second division received accident pay only, and then onlyfor one fortnight, no matter how bad the injury might be. The pay, .moreover, was only at half rates., Superannuation, which Mr Massey had cited, was regarded by the public as a gift from the Government. It was not generally known that the men contributed 5 to 10 per cent, of their monthly earnings to the fund. GRIEVANCES NOT REMEDIED.

The committee did not agree with Mr Justice Stringer's opinion, said to be. based on personal observation, that the men’s grievances had only to he brought under the notice of the department to be immediately rectified. This, they held, was quite contrary to fact. Railwaymen in every branch of the service could produce evidence in abundance to support the contention that the department made no attempt at a fair interpretation 'of the schedule introduced in April of last year. The committee stated that in view of the decision in the action recency brought in Palmerston North over « railway servant’s board/ when the department lost its case, it was proposed by a, number of branches of the A.S.R.S. to have recourse to the courts as a means of rectifying anomalies in the schedule. The trouble, said one member of the committee, was that the Government did not' govern the railways, but allowed’ the’ General Manager (Mr McVjlly) to have complete charge. EXODUS FROM SERVICE. In answer to a question the member! of the committee stated-that'the recent delays in some train services were entirely due to the employment of inexperienced men. Older servants, soma of them with ten to _ fourteen years’ experience, were leaving on account of adverse conditions, while returned soldiers who had been taken on would hot remain because - of- a: lack of inducement to do so. Practically, all the heads of the different departments were agreed that inexperience waa the cause of what the public seemed to regard as an attempt to “go slow.” The committee appealed to’the public os owners and users of the railways to see that the men who ran them wera given a living wage.