LOCOMOTIVE MEN'S GRIEVANCES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 1682, 31 May 1919, Page 7

LOCOMOTIVE MEN'S GRIEVANCES.

CABINET'S REPLY TO PROPOSALS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 30. The Government has made its reply to the request of the locomotive men of the railway service, made by a deputation froln their Society -\vliicli waited oh the Acting Prime Minister some two weeks ago. On that occasion the men protested that they could get no distance with the discussion of their differences with the management in conference with the Minister of .Railways, and the General Manager of Railways, and they appealed to the Government to appoint an outside conciliator, for which position they suggested either Judge Sim or Judge Stringer, to preside over a conference of representatives of their Society and the Department. The conciliator was merely to be chairman of the conference, charged presumably with the duty of seeing that matters were fairly presented and discussed. He was not to be an arbitrator. The Acting Prime Minister promised to submit the matter to Cabinet and the answer of Cabinet has been given. The following is the text of the Minister's reply:— "To the president and the secretary of the Engine Drivers', Firemen's and Cleaners' Association:—In accordance, with my promise, I referred to Cabinet the various matters placed before me by the deputation which waited on me on May 1. In reply Thave to state t that Cabinet lias carefully considered ' the matter and I have been authorised j to make the following reply:— I "The Government understand that | details of the Government scheme have never been thoroughly discussed in a fair and amicable manner, owing to the refusal of your Association to take part in any round table conferences between the Minister of Railways arid the Department and yourselves. The Government believe that if such a conference had been held many misunderstandings would have beeii cleared up. Therefore the Government sugigest to your Association that such a conference be. held, in which objections to the scheme may be fairly stated to the Minister and to the General Manager. 'The Government strongly recommend your Association to follow the example of the Amalgamated Society, and accept the scheme and give it a fair trial, with the belief that any injustice that may be found in the administration'can b° better remedied by round table conferences than by threats of a strike. With respect to your request for arbitration on the matter, if that means that your Association desires to come under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, I may say that the Government not only would have no objection to that course, but would bring in legislation to give effect to this, provided it was satisfied, by ballot, or otherwise, that a majority of its employees in the -ond Division were in favour of such a course. The Government, however, could not agree to a minority of the Second Division being under the Arbitration Act and a larger portion being outside the Act, nor could the Government agree to any arbitrators or conciliators being appointed to .... act, except under the provisions of the Arbitration Act."!ASSOCIATION SECRETARY'S COMMENT. Mr W. McAr] ey ( General Secretary to the men's Association in the efmrse of a statement replying to Sir James Allen's letter, says it appeared to him that the Acting Prime Minister had been misformed as to the attitude taken up by the representatives of the Assoo'atibn. Hi 2 personally hfucl offered to state the Association's position to tho Acting Prime Minister b.efore the Cabinet met. The Association liev-fr refused, to meet tha Minister of Railways and the Department in a round table conference to discuss proposals. When tho M ; iv'st> c r submitted the proposals on April 2, the proposal were fully discus33d and explained +0 tho Association's delegates. The men had the fullest information and fiilJy.- understood' the proposals. The representatives of ihe Association in their statement to the Acting Prime Minister stated certafn d'efinite why they resenird the proposals which could not be thi"i subject of any misunderstanding on .either side. The Esecu.t've Council, which has power to act in the matter, will m-eet as soon as members can assemble, when an official statement may l>o made.