RAILWAYS RATIONING

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1930, Page 9

RAILWAYS RATIONING

ECONOMIES IN VICTORIA. NEARLY 200(1 SURPLUS HANDS. Proposals for rationing the work of every employee in the Victorian Railways Department, from the Minister and commissioners downward, were placed before a conference of railways unions by the Aliiiister of Railways, Air. Cain, recently. The proposals involve a reduction of 8 1-3 per cent, in 7 the hours worked each week, with a corresponding reduction in wages and salaries. In suggesting that employees on the 48-honr week should work 44 hours, and that clerical stalls on 0| hours should work 33 hours, Mr. Cain said that failure to adopt some plan, of dividing the work available would lead to the dismissal of between 1500 and 2000 men. He disclosed that the deficit on the operations of the railways for the fil'sv two months of tlie present financial year was £440,000. Ho estimated that his plan, if put into operation, would save tlie department £375,000 a year. Representatives of 17 unions attend.ed the conference, which was convened by the Aliiiister as a last-minute effort to prevent extensive dismissals. It had ptevioitsly been announced that the Alinls£ry had decided not to restrain tlie commissioners from pitting into effect plaits to make a substantial reduction in the wages bill by dismissals. Figures given by Air. Cain showed that the revenue in July this year was £B3G--048, compared witli £988,781 in July, 1929, a decrease of £152,733. The revenue for August, 1929, whs £1,010,754. In August this year it' was only £BOB,000, a fall of £208,754. Un July 1 the Railways Commissioners estimated that there would bo a deficiency of £250,000 at the end of tlie year, hut, with revenue declining at tlie rate of .£20,000 a week more than tlie estimated decrease, it seemed to bn almost impossible to avoid, it much heavier deficit.

“I pointed out to the union representatives,” said Mr. Cain, “that owing to the serious financial position between' 1500 and 2000 men would have to .be disinlsssed immediately if a plan to reduce hours and wages were nut adopted. I assured them that the maximum amount of booking oil would be applied to every officer iff receipt of £5OO a ytiar, or more, including the Minister and the commissioners. None of the highly-paid officials can object to sharing the burden with the rest of the service. ■ “It would not be possible to book, off employees in certain departments, such as the train-running staffs, signalmen, shunters, and the safe-running staff. I. emphasised the fact also that only about £500,000 of loan money would be available this year, compared with £1,100,000 last year, and that this would necessarily reduce work.” Replying to the suggestion of several Union officials that further economies might be made in the department in other ways, Mr. Cain said that by booking men off for overtime and Sunday time between 250 and 300 employees had been retained ili the department. Twen-ty-two positions, carrying salaries of £6OO a year, had been abolished, and nine other positions carrying the same salary had been filled, as they became vacant, by men receiving lower salaries. In addition, 120 employees had been given extended leave without pay, and 67 were on transfer to other Government departments. Mr. Cain added that the union repre sentatives had thoroughly discussed his proposal. They had pointed out, however, that, as there was. an application before the Arbitration Court for . a reduction of wages and for power to. ration Work, the unions could not. consider the Minister’s suggestions until the court gave its decision. Mr. Cain was given power to Call the conference together again should the unions reach a decision.

.Supplementing his statement to the conference that he was prepared to share in the rationing of work with the rest of the railways service, Mr. Cain said later that no difficulty would be encountered in making the appropriate reduction in his salary. . He was not asking the rank and file of the service to submit to an economy in which he wits unwilling to take part, If no other practicable method of applying the rationing to himself could be devised, he would make a refund to the Treasury representing the amount of salary by which he should be rationed in the event of the rationing being applied in the ser-