WAGES AND HOURS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16405, 11 April 1924, Page 6

WAGES AND HOURS.

ABORTIVE PROCEEDINGS OF RAILWAY BOARD. A STRIKE BALLOT. P. AND T. BALLOT ALSO LIKELY. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The silting of 1 lie Railway Wages Board came to a sudden termination today, the whole proceedings thus being' a iKirtive. Mr. Connolly, president of the A.S.R.S., said if, bad sat for several days and no progress had been made, llie Board was supposed to deal with wages and conditions of the A.S.R.S.. yet the chairman said the effect of t ho finding on oilier brunches of the Public Service, must he considered. "You refused to act the part of mediator,” said -Mr. Connelly, to the chairman, Mr. Acland. “That is one of the primary reasons why we are breaking off the negotiations."

Further, Mr. Connolly said: "I don't, want lo sav it in any way personally, Imt I am dealing with your, decisions as i bail-man, and you have been responsible lor the failure of negotiations up lo dale. I want to say that, this is not the kind of board the A.S.R.S. lias been used to. Tile Board we expected, and our request, that we should have a Wages Board in the true sense, has not been given ellect to. He explained that the Board conducted the inquiry amicably, members being always courteous to each other, but it was recognised that there was no chance of coming to an agreement on the mat ter before' the Board now.

Three reports—one by the chairman, one from the Department, and one from (lie A.S.R.S.’s representatives—will be forwarded to tliri Minister, who lias do clined to make a. statement, until lie lias had lime to consider all the reports. It. is authoritatively stated that a number of railway strike ballot papers went out to-night, and the rest will go out to-morrow, and that they tiro returnable at short notice, and it will probably affect the .Easter trafiic.

A meeting of the Wellington branch of the Post and Telegraph Association held last niglil was addressed by members of the New Zealand executive, who asked wliat steps should be taken next if the re-classification list was found unsatisfactory.

The meeting decided that a ballot should he taken on the following issues: b (1) Are you in favor of accepting the new list'/ -Yes' or no. (2) If not, arc you. in favor of a. strike /■ —Yes or no. (3) v As to tho desire of the executive of the 1 A.S.R.S. should we remain at work and j support them financially/—Yes or no. ‘j TAKING A STRIKE BALLOT. CAUSES OF THE BREAKDOWN, f (Special to the Herald.) ■ WELLINGTON, this day. 1 The breakdown of flic Railway Wages I Board negotiations brings the possibility 1 of a strike into prominence in the second division of the service, represented in ; Ibe Amalgamated Society of Railways Servants, as no secret is made of tin I fact I bat. following yesterday afternoon':- • aboi l ive conference under Mr H. I). ■ Aclund’s chairmanship, the railwaymen’s represent,-ilivee decided to put into prompt operation a decision of a previous meeting that- a strike ballot lie taken of the society’s members throughout Hie Dominion. I bis. I understand, will be returnable as soon as it is possible to get Hie ballot papers circulated 1 and marked. . The .situation began to get ominous on . Wednesday afternoon, when it became , known that the A.S.’s representatives on I tho Board were dissatisfied with Uu . chairman's suggested report, which In . had. submitted privately to the. Board. They had telegraphed for the whole exe cut ive, so that the position could he eon sidered. An adjournment till this after noon instead, of the usual resumption it the nun nine; was obviously for the purpose of enabling the amalgamated exe cut ive to consider the position which hat arisen before the Board, and to come to a. decision, the nature of which was evidenced in the sudden termination of tin negot i,at ions. WHY BREAKDOWN (XCURBED. There were 71 requests placed before the Wages Board' by the Amalgamated Society, llie first- remit, being that in creases of wages of 2s 6d per day lit granted. When the Board commenced proceedings the railwayman's represent a lives declared that they wanted a dp vision on the wages question before con sideling llii- conditions involved in the large number of other remits. Alt Acland expressed himself as profoundly ignorant of railway questions, and showed a desire on more than one occasion to ciller upon the general aspects of Hit claims. He was urged by the Tnenb delegates to make a pronouncement- on wages tirst, and appeared to concede tin point to the extent of considering the possibility. The result was a draft interim report which the men’s represen tutives completely oppose, possibly the departmental representatives may also dissent. ami three separate reports may be submitted t'. the Minister, a contingency provided fot in the order of reference. The chairman of the Board: takes up- the attitude that until lie has investigated the whole position he cannot come to a decision on the wages question. IR. called for a return, which was furnished, sliowitq (lie probable elfect of extending the rail uaymcti’s wage demand to the whole ol lho public service, this involving ovei two millions sterling. The railwaymen’s representatives consider that the chairman conducted proceedings on unusual lines, not in accordance with that of previous Wages Boards. WIIAT THE DEPARTMENT OFFERED. The Railway Department’s represen tatives have throughout taken up the attitude that as men on a basic wage o! £3 19s lOd declare they have not- still!cient on which to live, they' and the rest of the railwaymen may secure an increased. money return by reverting front a 44-hour week to a. week of 48 hours, which would give over 7s extra pay weekly. Tho reply of the men to this utter is that, owing to the rapid fluctuations in the cost of living tin* extra pn,v ‘ might he absorbed in high prices, and 1 they he again obliged to ask for in-

creased "'ages, with the disadvantage of negotiating on a 48-hour week basis, towards the end of the Wages Board a tentative suggestion is understood to have been made bv the men’s representatives that they Would not stand rigidly by (lie 2s 6d demand' if the other side would meet them in a spirit of negotiation. Apparently this offer did not produce a corresponding concession from the Railway Department-, and' as the chairman

continued to hold that in the absence of full investigation of railway conditions, lie was unable to make any recommendation on wages, a deadlock ensued with the sequel of a strike ballot as already in dieated. I understand that the society has communicated with the Prime Minister. who is expected, to return to Wellington almost immediately. I his holds out- some hope ol continued negotiations direct with the Premier and Minister of Railways, when the dillieuU situation may become easier. Mean while the balk.! is being taken of A.S.R.S. member:: on the. issue whether 11 lev are prepared, if necessary, to strike for ini cease. 1 >' ages. MR. VE-ITCH ADVISES MEN NOT TO- STRIKE. WANGANUI, this day. In view of the deadlock between the A.S.R.S. and the Wages Hoard and llu possibility' of serious developments. Air. Veitch, M.P., who is past, president, and one. of the first members of the A.S.R.S., left for Wellington by in-davV ex press. Asked by a. press representative U he had anything to say on the subject Mr. Yeilch replied that he was not dis posed lo discuss the matters in dispute, fearing that anything he might say might increase the difficultir-s in seettritiv! a- settlement, hut- he would unhesitately advise the railwaymen not to go on strike, because he realised that such action on their part would aiienate the public confidence and sympathy, which they now possess to a great extent, and which t hey' cannot alford to lose in t licitpresent time of trouble.