RAILWAY STRIKE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16724, 27 April 1920, Page 7

RAILWAY STRIKE.

LATER NEWS, STRIKE QUITE SUDDEN, RAILWAY OFFICIALS NOT NOTIFIES. Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, April 27. The Assistant General Manager of Railways, when informed of the notification of the men. said it was the first intimation lie had' received of the intention to strike. The men bad given no warning and last night neither the Prime Minister nor the General Manager of Railways had received notification. STATEMENT OF UNION. OF REASONS FOR STRIKE.

WELLINGTON, April 27. A statement of the Executive Council of the Locomotive Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association says that the locomotive men have decided to cease work at, midnight on the 2ith because t-liov are in receipt of wages which have the lowest purchasing power of any men employed in similar work in the English-speaking world. Every means have been exhausted by the Executive Council to living about an amicable settlement and persistent representations have been made, to the General Manager and Minister of Railways and Parliament during the last tcii years. The men wore most; militant twelve months ago and the Executive Council held their position until this year, when the decision of the board wont out to the men. This' was taken very sore bv the men. The executive 'still held the men pending further representations to the Minister. AVhen his last letter was received by the executive the Executive Council sent the whole matter to the branches to call urgent meetings on Sunday, 25th.

The Executive Council intimated in correspondence that it had done nil it could and exhausted nil means in its power. It was .also intimated to the i- en that the department refused tlo delegates leave to come to 'Wellington to consider the position on the 31st. If this had been agreed to at all costs_ the executive felt sure that the position would have been still safe. However, the meetings hold throughout New Zealand wore large and the most extraordinary in the history of the railways. Tho unanimous instruction _ of the branches was that the Executive Council instruct all branches to eoasc work immediately. Tho council had placed themselves unreservedly in the hands of tlie branches and to abide by their decisions. There had been, no predetermined action in striking nt this particular juncture, and such a thing had never occurred to the executive.