STRIKE SETTLED

Timaru Herald, Volume 170, Issue 170208, 3 May 1920, Page 7

STRIKE SETTLED

ENGINE MEN GIVE WAY

WORK RESUMED THIS MORNING

(Official.) The following message way supplied by the Acting Chief Postmaster at Tiniaru on Saturday night:—' The Prime Minister met the Executive of the Engine-drivers', Firemen's, and Gleaners' Association in conference this evening, when an agreement" was arrived at. All members of the Association! are being advised to return to work immediately. AH trains will 'commence miming, as' usual from micuiigrio 0 n Sunday. ° THE FINAL DIFFICULTY. STATEMENT BY~MIt MASSEY. WELLINGTON, May 1. J his morning Mr Massey endeavoured tu get into coniniuuicaxion witn tiuSecretary of. tiio Jiiigme-drivers, Fifemen's,: and Cleaners' .-vssboiatioin to into rm linn of Juts proposed course, of action, but neither by telephone nor messenger could lie succeed. Alter less than hair a,ti, hour for fundi the prima Minister returned to his; office, and shortly after Mr Massey issued the following l statement;— v

• J-■flunk it is generally understood now that I had no. difficulty whatever with either the Railway Officers' Institute nor the A.S.R.S,, both being viiing that the matters in dispute should bo dealt with under the provisions of the imo' ■<■£* - ,s P utes Investigation Act, lJid. with any necessary modifications that might be required. The position was, however, very different with those who claim to. represent the locomotive men. _ They also wore, in favour 0 f a Conciliation. Commissioner, or Committee, but their ideas as to. details were, aecordinig to my experience, unworkable! After long discussion thev, however, agreed to the form of a: tribunal which I could .accept, but o ne point about which we could not agree was their proposal to make-the operations resulting from .any recommendation of the tribur mil retrospective. I met the locomotive men first on. April 29, but on April 80 the Executive, of the E.F.C.A. made a new demand which had not been mentioned by them in, the interview of the evening of the 29th—namely, that whatever increases of wages'or conditions were, recommended by the Conciliation Committee must be retrospective fronr April I, 1919. I pointed out that the .date for 'the commencement retrospectively of the new rates and' conditions was one of the essential matters to be considered by any tribunal which might bo established, .since, sq far as the claims of the E.F.C.A. related to- increase in the cost of living, that cost was a varying quantity. I said the Government 1 would not itself think of roaming as: a condition of . the agreement a certain time from whioh increases should commence, and could not consent to that' ■condition of the agreement being; imposed by fhe Executive of the E.F.C.A., but at once offered to leave it to the 1 Conciliation Committee without limitation, of power to recommend a, date front which increase of wages and improvement of conditions should retrospectively commence. >, I emphasised that the Conciliation Committee -would be representative of -both parties, a.nd that the E.F.C.A.: would have the. fullest opportunity of contending that xYpril 1, 1919, , was the date which shouTd be recom- ! mended, and if their contention: was fair and just in that respect there was no dotiht it would be considered as such and recommended by the tribunal. 1 said that I could not agree oh behalf; ef the Government to withdraw from any tribunal! which might be established power to consider and determine the date from which any increases recommended by it should commence. It is manifest that -while the Government can trust Parliament to affirm «,n action of theGovernment founded 'tiipoh the advice of an. independent commission approved by both parties, the Government .could not justify to Parliament an arrangement by which one. of-the parties ?hOiild done decide and dictate the decision upon, oneof the most important matters which the Commission ought properly to consider and decide.'"

Mr Massey asserted that he T\a» not opposed to an increase of wages, if it was decided upon by the Tribunal, from on or about "Ist Apri, 1919. Mr Maascy continued': "There was an agreement arrived at as between the representatives of the Government and the Department and representatives of the Railway Service, the result of which was embodied in the Railways Act passed b"-t scssiun, which i.< now the law of tho land. 1 could not possibly go behind an Act of Parliament. It also puts .ludgc Stringer's report and recommendatioh on one side, though the engine men, with the other brandies of tho service, have accepted payment in accordance with that report. The .other two branches of the railway service were quite satisfied to leave this matter to the tubunal to make a recommendation, but the representatives of the engine men were obdurate, and insisted on retrospective action irom the dato mentioned, thus taking the decision with regard to this important point otifc (W the hands of,the Commission or tribunal to be appointed. To this 1 could not agree, as being wrong in principle and unfair to other men who had waived this' point. To get over this difficulty 1 proposed to accept the following:—

"The Conciliation Commission in icportuig the result of its deliberations to also report at what date iii its opinion any increase in wages and any alteration in conditions should retrospectively commence." "1 think any intelligent unbiassed man will agree that that was a fair .proposal to make, but Uie men proless to speak for the engine drivers refused to consider it iii any way whatever. At this stage the deliberations came to an end, and it became my duty to ask the people of the country to support the Government in getting the railways to not];. "I have always boon of opinion, both as Minister and as a private member, that people in the employ of the State I should hare fair play and justice done theni, and J think so still: but wc cannot ul'isw any small section to stick up the whole business of the Dominion. The railway system is a complicated biie and difficult for outsiders to understand, but I have before mo., at this moment an official statement from tho Assistant Manager ol Hallway's with regard to the average wbekly ea-rriiilgs of engine drivers in the North Island for the first three months of this year. It shows that first grade engine* .drivers (of whom there are 110), who worked full time earned a weekly average of £G 8s 9d; sliid the second grade engine drivers (120) working full time earned •£S 183 lid. . It iriay be said that this includes overtime. It "certainly does,, btit then overtime in the case of an engine driver ihedhs ally work after, ten o'clock at-night, even ->"i^ a bo did hb work at all previousi to-' that. TMt.is to that very* Often.,- arid espefiiaiiy in, the case of main trunk erigifte 'drivers, the whole time thoy are at Wtirk is paid for as overtime." "I m/mllt say that I have ho fault to filid with the men of the Railwav Officers" Institute n."d A;SR,S;. but I liiiust exbressi "the opinion'that the loco- ! trictive men have bee.n very badly advised in forcing a strike upon tlie country and aftei-wdfclsi wlieh. a. settlement 1 *ras being considered, taking up arii

utterly unreasonable attitude* on a vitally important question of principle. I am afraid there is some- influence' at work which has not yet appeared upon the surface."

■STATEMENT BY MR MASSEY.

AFTER THE SETTLEMENT.

WELLINGTON, May 2, The railway strike was settled iate on Saturday night, when Mr Massey had an interview with the Executive of the E.J?, and U. Union, who agreed to waive their oiaiui for introspective payment of increases, and agreed to the reference of the dispute to a tribunal. Jiyerytliing is in train lor a resumption of tite various services to-morrow. In commenting on the settlement obtained Mr Massey made the following brief statement : "In each case the principle of con-' filiation is being observed for the •points in dispute as between the E.F.C.A. and the Government. A special Conciliation Commission, ia being set up, and I hope' to have it appointed at or before the end of the week, and to get it to work as soon as thereafter. "In the other two cases the .First Division and the A.5.R..5., the provisions of the Labour Disputes Investiga,tion Act are being taken advantage of, so far as they apply. They do not quite lit a dispute as between the Crown and its employees, but the principle is being observed, and I have no doubt, that it will work out satisfactorily. .

"1 am naturally very glad that the strike has come to an eiid, especially as it cuables the original programme of our Royal visitor to bo proceeded with. I am glad to say that so far as 1 am able to judge, and I think I am right in this, the dispute has left no bitterness behind. The negotiations! were conducted in the most friendly spirit, although they were on Friday and Saturday somewhat protracted, but the result of it all is that we understand one another better than wo did before, and as a consequence I believe that any dispute that may occur in the future will be very much more easily settled, and that the Minister of Railways and the Railway Department, on the one hand and the railwaymen on the other, will be the better" able to work loyally together for our experience during the last few weeks."

E.F.C.A. SECRETARY'S 'STATEMEI>L

Speaking of the ear.b'°" ''a.ilurc of the negotiations, Mr McArley said: "In accepting another Board or Commission we are going against the wishes of the members who demanded that a. full and complete settlement should be effected before they resumed work. We accepted the Commission. >'•• order to try to run trains for the reception of the Prince, and for that reason only, and the point in dispute Means that we asked the Prime Minister to assure us by his signature that the improvements iin wages and conditions would be retrospective to April, 1919. The Prime Minister insists that this should be left to the Commission. "We have consulted cur'representatives, and they insist that a full and complete "signedup agreement shall be effected in the present dispute, which is + "-elve months old—in fact, the main points are ten years old." :

A.S.R.S. OtJT OF SYMPATHY-

Some difference of opinion seems to have : arisen between the A.sS.R.S. and the E.F.C.A. A' delegation from, the former, waited on the E.F.CrA., with, the object of reaching an un'dcrsta.nding.

The E.F.C.A. Executive said that the traffic men must please themselves about resuming work aiid running, the trains with substitute drivers. It was the loco men's strike, and they intended to get a settlement in their own way. At a.meeting of .A.S.R.S. men statements wore freely made by members that they woidd work the trains whoever they were manned by.

NOTICE TO TIMARU E.F.C.A.

The secretary of the local branch, Mr F. M. Young, at 6.30 p.m. yesterday received a telegram to the effect that the strike is off.

A.S.R.S. AND MINISTEIii '. NATURE OF THE AGREEMENT. TRIBUNAL GRANTED. TO INVESTIGATE GRIEVANCES, ~ CHRISTCHURCH, May I.' "Perhaps some- of our-members are. of opinion tnat the loeomouve association will get an advantage which otir executive has iwjt secured. - That position was .anticipated by my execucjve, and I can assure members of th,6 A.ti.R.S. that there is no possibility of anything like that happening. The Government is already wise to-the fact that to bring about siicri an arrangement would only mean falling out of the frying pan into the fire." This significant statement- was madethis afternoon by Mr Hampton. President of the A.5.R.5.., in ah interview covering most phases of tlic railway dispute. .• . '. Mr Hampton was asked whether the Prime 'Minister, was right in" his statement -.'that, the agreement ended tire strike but not the grievance. "Oh yes," said Mr Hampton; "that is quitetrue. Although at the same time, of course, we. hope that the agreement. made for the resumption of work. wilL eti<j the grievance?- of the Taiiwaymeu,but if not the position, is safeguarded to this extent, that the- men have the light to declare war again. "The trouble was brought about iii our casa by the position the Prime Minister took- up. in his reply to the Executive. Council, in which he practically said the General Manager should have the last word on technical matters affecting conditions■ on the ser-

\ico "We have alwnjs hem mepau'il to licgof ate v ith the Gouoip' M.inagei, aiid to Ir-s to wmp to leinis, and Jl lie could com c to tcims, that I tluuk, would be the ideal iu\ of settling disputes Bui tan nf\ei ic cept ilio po«ition frnt the Genci il Manager's word must in each find every liibiarte be accepted as mud the Ugh! of appeal to anv one ck° Tine agipcment which 11c hate nnc'j gcta otoi that position, and gives the f'ghfc to ]ia\e the Geneul Mmagei's decisions leiiowcd "b\ an independent -tnhunal The ailutiator wi'l not he solely selected bv the Vivi"i as lie oiiginalh piopo-jcd m his last communication Tho sclectio 1 will be 1 mrittci ioi nopotntion between All Jlasspy and 0111 e\'\ utive We will stait tho heaiing of tho ti>e when we both dgiee that we lvive confidence in the aiaitratoi, wli'cli will, we liope,'lie in a, few cny's Tt I'isu be suggested that it will be a difficult mattei to anaaige, but pernor i dd lidt expect ail's gieat difficultv in coming to an agiepment 1 eluding the clictiliiiaash'p To keep thousincK of bui nleu out of employment, mvolvirg tbo enforrcd idleness of thousands ot other woikeis, together "Kitti tt'o {rcnelal inconvenience) of the. pubhr, would not, in niT judgment be instific-d nonrin" executive h«"e \.ontjprl I'tei! 'cUe T Uidn 111 tbo maritime i,a nfi cnV l < sT'lilntion of "m,il - iL v>i ajid a iea r onab]y pio^pect