INCREASED RAILWAY WAGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 3

INCREASED RAILWAY WAGES.

EFFECT ON SUPERANNUATION WELLINGTON, January 17.

In an interview at Christchurch on the subject of increases of pay to members of the second division of the railway service, Mr Hampton, of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants’ Executive, stated'that when the allowance was made to married men covering the increased cost of living, the salaries being brought up to £l3O per annum, and the wages raised to 8s 3£d per day, the grant was not statutory, and therefore men were superannuated on the actual rate of pay they were receiving under the schedules of the Government Railways Classification Act, which in sonje of the oases referred to were 7s per day. The Railway Department .states that this statement is entirely erroneous. As a matter of fact men in receipt of the married allowance contribute to the superannuation fund on the actual nay received by them, and on their retirement are superannuated on the same basis, so that a married man whose classification rate was 7s per day, but was in receipt of the married allowance of 8s 3fd per day, would pay his contribution "on 8s and receive superannuation benefits on the same rate. Furthermore, states the department, it may remove this apprehension that exists in the minds of the men to point out that even in cases where contributors to the superannuation fund have given notice of retirement, and .have been granted leave preparatory to finally retiring from the service, the superannuation allowance of such men has been computed on the increased rate of pay operating Horn Ist of November last, provided, of course, that the men had not actually retired from the service before that date. At the last meeting of the Superannuation Fund Board seven such cases were dealt with, the increased allowances that were granted varying from £2 15s 4d to £lO 12s 7d. This, it is urged, indicates clearly that the Railway Department gives an employee the fullest possible benefits that can accrue to him under the Superannuation Fund Act.