WORK ON THE RAILWAYS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1924, Page 5

WORK ON THE RAILWAYS

RATES OF PAY AND HOURS. ' DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. By Telegraph.—Frets Association. Wellington, Last Night. Conditions in the railway service were discussed in the House to-night when the vote for the working railways (£8,050,000) was reached in the Estimates. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. T. M. Wilford) protected against the reduction of pay for night work to men engaged in the traffic branch, whose work was onerous and often entailed danger to life and limb. He moved that the first item (general manager £2700)) be reduced by £5 as an indication that railwaymen engaged on night work should receive a higher rate of pay.

Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party), supporting the amendment, said there could be no economical reason for reducing the men’s pay, and he said it was unwise for the Government to pursue what seemed to be a policy of vengeance. The Minister said the majority report of the board of inquiry was against the payment of special night rates for work that had to be done all round the clock. Such extra rates were not paid anywhere else for similar work. It must be recognised that the railways could not be run successfully if more than half the earnings had to be paid away in wages. The Minister pointed out that the hoard of inquiry bad reported that railwaymen’s wages today showed an increase on the pre-war rates and conditions were better. It would be dangerous if Parliament proceeded to go behind the decision of the Arbitration Court by altering the scale of pay fixed by the court of inquiry.

On a division the amendment was lost by 32 votes to 27. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) then moved that the amount be reduced by £1 *s an indication that overtime rates should be paid for all time worked in excess of 44 hours per week. He argued that the reinstatement of 48 hours put the railway service back thirty years so far as working conditions were concerned. The amendment provoked no discussion, a division being taken immediately, resulting in its rejection by 32 votes to 27. The total vote was then passed without further debate.