RAILWAY ECONOMY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 228, 26 September 1931, Page 8

RAILWAY ECONOMY

EMPLOYEES CONCERNED. MR. STERLING APPROACHED. CASE FOR THE MEN. WELLINGTON, Sept. 25. Railwaymen are very concerned over the effect of the economies recently decided upon by the Railway Board, and an emergency meeting of the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was called to con sider the question. To-day a deputation representing the A.S.R.S. waited, upon the General Manager (Mr. H. H. Sterling) to protest against the economies. The proceedings were private. An indication of the views held by , the railwaymen is given in the Railway Review, the official journal of the A.S.R.S. The Review states that the railwaymen have been specially differentiated against in the economy process. They were, it is stated, victims of the politicians a few months ago in respect of the 10 per cent. cut. Then the politicians handed them over to business men and they suffered another heavy dose of wage reduction, which was supposed to be the antidote for the world’s economic troubles. The public is reminded of the two cuts in 1922, which were not restored, and that the railwaymen, in addition to being included ih the recent 10 per cent, reductions, had their railway rents increased, and for some months had been deprived of conditions which to them had real monetary value. “Now,’’ the article continues, “we have the Railway Board, forgetful of all that has gone before, making further economies at the expense of the staff, which will now have no recognition of the special difficulties of railway work, ljut will be required to do its best, on pared-down wages and filched conditions of service. How this special differentiation against the railwaymen is going to maintain that co-operation deemed by the General Manager so essential for an industry fighting for its life, we cannot understand. This is apparently the Railway Board’s opening move in making a ‘success’ of the railways.”

It is stated by the journal that ainee July, 1930, over 2000 casual employees had been forced to take their farewells, and now those having over 30 years’ service were being dispensed with. The greatest hardship of the latest series of economies fell on the workshops staff, and there the Railway Department was suffering from an immense burden of capital expenditure which was entirely Unwarranted. Hundreds of workshops men had had to root up their homes and transfer to other centres in accordance with the reorganisation policy. “They are victims of a huge confidence trick,” the article states, “for the workshops are found to be overstaffed and the victims are mostly taken from the lower ranks.” Supporting the latter allegation, the journal quotes from the Railways Statement showing that while the sum total of employees had been steadily declining the administrative section had actually increased by 95 In recent years. It comments: “This supports the contention that the railways have run wild on supervision and that the concern is particularly top-heavy, despite the number of high-priced retirements. ”