RAILWAY SERVANTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 1682, 2 June 1919, Page 8

RAILWAY SERVANTS

TIMA.RTJ BBAXGH. A general! meeting "of' the Timaru ißrancii of the Amalgamated Society of Hailway Servants was heid in the Soc.al Hall, with a good attendance of members, Mr Wm. Gillespie in the chair. Individual grievances were dtait with and the secretary was instructed to forward same on to the Executive to deal with. I'd was decided to donate £o to th-"' Executive towards .the cost of the recent conference.

The Ministerial! veto in the Railway Appeal Board: cases came up for discussion, when stroing exception was taken to tli© of the Minister of Railways in vetoing the decision in the Longton appeal case, this apipeaT beinc upheld bv a unanimous rote of tho Braird. Tha meeting considered it was r.ct right or just for the Minister to upset a decision that had Iseen ucinnimousV arrived at after IfniciJiv evidence }iad been taken hv the Board. It simply means, it was said, that t!he rai'ivaympn's Appeal Board is only a farce. The i'oilomng resolution was carried unan.mously:—"Tikv& this branch lakefc strong exa-ption to .tho Minister ol ilailways having a power of veto in appeal cases, and tiiao steps Ito taken to have the Minister's p-jwet of veto abolished."

A deputation was appointed to wait on the tita'tkmmasti.r re local grievances. Dissatisfaction was expressed that the definits promises given by the Geineral Manager in connection with the new schedule were not being adhered to, particularly in connection with intermittent time, men being booked on and off duty at the convenience of the department, one case being sta'ted where a man was booked off for 20 minutes and 40 minutes a-t d.ffemit interval's <>n the same day. These are the sort of things that help to make dissatisfaction in"the service.

A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.