RAILWAY SERVICE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12017, 6 March 1920, Page 5

RAILWAY SERVICE.

MR,JUSTICE STRINGER’S REPORT. “INCREASED PAY AND IMPROVED CONDITIONS. Per Press Association Wellington, March 5 Mr Justice Stringer’s report on pay and conditions in the Railway Service was released by Mr Massey to-day. Mr Justice Stringer reviews at length the concessions already granted to members of the service, pointing to the granting of a salary increase of £45 a year to salaried men of the First Division and the war bonuses, subsequently added to tlae schedule rates, of 8s a day to men. of the Second Division, the granting of the eight hours’ day, and of extra rates for overtime and night work. He goes on to say that it seems clear that at the time the present schedule was made up it was believed by both sides in the discussions that the cost of living had reached its maximum, but unfortunately it had'Since risen. If, therefore, the purchasing power of the salaries and wages of members of the service was to be maintained, increases in such salaries would have to be given to an extent commensurate with the increased cost of living. From figures supplied bj r the Statistician. Mr Justice Stringer estimates that on the basic wage of £8 13s fixed by the amended schedule of last year, the increase to compensate for the rise in the cost of living since that schedule came into operation should be 3s 5d per week, but he says also that evidence showed that the increase from the pre-war basic wage of £3 14s per week to £1 3s did not fully compensate the men for the increases in the cost of living in that time, and he therefore recommends an increase in pay by way of bonus of 6s per week, this bonus to be payable from January Ist, 1920, and to be adjustable on September 80th next, and thereafter half-yearly according as the cost of living increases or decreases. In the meantime, these periods are recommended by the Statistician as bemg most suitable for the purpose. For the reasons set out, he considers and recommends that the bonus should be given only to married men or to widowers with dependents and single men with dependents, these being the men most affected by the increased cost of living. Mr Justice Stringer expresses the opinion that anomalies and hardships are promptly removed when they are brought to the notice of the General Manager and heads o» branches. As to proposals for the establishment of Whitley Councils, he thinks that as no recommendations could be adopted without the approval of the General Manager, it might be questionable whether the present practice, by which the executives of Railway Society meet the General Manager in direct conference, is not the sneedieat and most satisfactory method of settling all debatable questions. He remarks upon the fact that the rates for skilled tradesmen in the Railway Department are lower than the ruling rates obtainable outside, but he says times are still abnormal and out of joint, and this condition of things may soon be rectified if a comprehensive scheme of immigration is established and made operative. Regarding lesignations from the service, the Judge says: men who take short views of things, and who, to secure an immediate advantage, are prepared to sacrifice their future prospects, may have resigned in order to participate in the higher rates referred to. As against these high rates, the continuance of which cannot be relied on, the prudent man will sat off the substantial advantages which accrue to a member of the railway staff, namely permanency of employment, no lost time through wet weather, waiting for material, or between jobs; annual leave on full pay; superannuation allowance; cheap railway travelling; annual passes. If it is true, as is frequently stated, that the two great fears which haunt the minds of the workers are the fear of unemployment and the fear of a dependent oid age, a member of the railway staff might well pause before resigning from a service which protects him from bo-h these dangers, to enter an employment which protects him from neither, merely to obtain the immediate but possibly only temporary advantage of a slightly Tiigher rate of pay. ’ Mr Justice Stringer proceeds to deal in detail with recommendations as to wages. He recommends a bonus of £JS a year to men of the First Division in grades 2to 7 inclusive of sub-division 2, but only to married men, widowers with dependents and single men with dependents. He considers that hours of work should not exceed 88 per week, but in consideration of the fact that members of the First Division get annual leave on full pay, he does nqt think there Should be payment for overtime or for work done on Sundays or holidays, other than for work done on Sundays in connection with train service. For these duties ho considers the present rates fair. For the Second Division he recommends a bonus of Is a day, with the provisions for review above mentioned, but he (stipulates that there ought to bo no alteration of the bonus rate unless there is sufficient advance or. reduction in the cost of living to the amount of at least threepence per day. The bonus is to be excluded from the computation of night rates and overtime rates. It does not appear that the report recommends any changes of importance in connection with rules for overtime and other payment, hours of work and such matte)®. On the question of compulsory retirement on superannuation after forty years service, he mentions three different ideas on this question, two favouring compulsory retirement and one opposing it. His own opinion is.that to compel officers to retire after forty years’ service would mean that the State in many cases would lose the benefit of a man’s services just at the timo when, by reason of his experience and efficiency, such services wooJd become most valuable. The Prime Minister in reference to the report, the following statement: “in subsequent consultation with Mr Justice Stringer, it has been agreed that to single men in the First Division a payment of £7 10s a year will be made, and to single"in the Second Division a payment of 6d per day, both payments to be by way of bonus, commencing from January Ist, 1930.”