APPEAL BY RAILWAY CLERK

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 5

APPEAL BY RAILWAY CLERK

CHANGE OF EMPLOYMENT > SOUGHT An appeal against the refusal of permission to end his employment with the Railways Department by Ivan E. Mitchell was considered at a sitting of the Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday. It was stated that the appellant wanted to accept employment with the firm of Kingsland and Sons because the prospects for his future career would be enhanced by the change. The appellant, who was represented by Mr L. F. Moller, was a clerk, aged 22. The District Manpower Officer, Mr A. J. Peterson, said that the direction of the appellant to a position with the railways service in Wellington would depend on the result of the appeal. The appeal was not allowed.

"This is one of those cases where there is a contest between two essential industries for this man’s services and the industry to which he wants to go offers him the greater opportunities and prospects for advancement,” said Mr Moller. “In fact, he sees very little in the way of real advancement in the railways service.” The appellant regarded the transfer to Wellington as a retrogression, rather than an advancement, continued Mr Moller. Mitchell had a wish to go to Kingsland and Sons, whose store staff was exceedingly short. There was an urgent need for a storeman and the firm recognized his ability and hoped to promote him in the future to some executive position, after he had received

a thorough grounding as a storeman. “This job in Wellington to which it has been proposed to send the appellant is the compilation of a plant register and he has been told that he is needed for the job because of his neat handwriting,” said Mr Moller. He submitted that there was nothing to say that the appellant was the only one capable of doing the job in Wellington. The appellant felt that the Railways Department was not short of staff to the same extent as Kingslands and he also felt that he was not being flattered by being told that he was the only one who could take the position in Wellington.