Rail Workers Outline Facts Of Their Case

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1950, Page 6

Rail Workers Outline Facts Of Their Case

WELLINGTON, Yesterday (BA). The railwaymen’s representatives had reached agreement with the General Manager of Railways (Mr F. W. Aickin) this week on wage proposals which would have settled the dispute and avoided the strike, but the settlement was not endorsed by the Government, according to ike railwaymen. They make this assertion in a joint statement issued by the A.S.R.S. and R.T.A. in a review of the long negotiations with the Government, which ended in the breakdown into last night.

The statement set out that the Rail- s ways Act permitted wage increases, if ’I agreed upon in conciliation. The rail- g waymen claimed 6d an hour increase. / An allowance of 6d an hour for adults d and 3d an hour for juniors and apprentices was subsequently agreed < upon in conciliation, but was rejected t by the Government. s 'A review of events issued by the t executive council of the A.S.R.S., with p the endorsement of the secretary of c the R.T.A. (Mr T. F. Gebbie) was as follows: t “The council fully discussed the j meagre increase granted by the tri- s bunal, and it was pointed out that our 8 labourers, even with the extra penny e granted, had a take-home weekly pay a of only £6 Ils 103 d, and when a mem- c ber was in the superannuation fund, an amount of £6 Is 3d a week —a ridi- t culously low amount when all phases •• of railway work were taken into ac- 1 count. 2 PROLONGED DISCUSSIONS * “The representatives of the gen- s eral division, Messrs J. A. Barton, representing the A.S.R.S., Mr T. H. Stephenson, E.F. and C.A., and Mr 1. F. Gebbie, F.T.A., met the Minister of j Railways (Mr Goosman) and the Gen- j eral Manager in the Minister’s office. , Prolonged discussions took place and , the representatives informed the Min- ( ister that there was no intention to £ break down the present method of -j conciliation and arbitration through , the Railways Tribunal. The Minister . also stated that he was adamant in j that direction. The representatives £ had accepted this position, but pointed , out that the Government Railways ( Act allowed for an approach to be , made in a constitutional manner. , “The Minister informed the deputation that he would place the re- , quest of the three general division ser- ’ vice organisations before his colleagues and would advise the organisations of the decision. “On Friday thfe organisations had further discussions on the question and were informed that the Minister would meet them again on Saturday, December 16, at 9.30 a.m. Mr A. D. Hennessey, president of the R.T.A., had arrived in Wellington, and he joined the members who were present at the deputation on Thursday. The representatives met the Minister of Railways, the Minister of Labour (Mr Sullivan), the Attorney-General (Mr Webb) and the General Manager ot Railways at this interview. The representatives of the men were assured that it was not a question of money that was standing between the parties. "The Minister informed the deputation that, as far as the Government was concerned, these were discussions and not negotiations, but the representatives of the men could consult and negotiate with the General Manager ot Railways on any question, and that if a constitutional method was adopted he would not interfere. ALLOWANCES SETTLED “On December 18 the executive council of the A.S.R.S. discussed the position with the representatives of the other general division organisations, and the representatives of the societies later'met the General Manager and more negotiations took place. After long deliberations it was finally agreed that an allowance of 6d an hour to all adult employees and 3d an hour to all juniors and apprentices was justified. This was to be granted because of the peculiar nature of railway work, in that the big majority of the members were required to work over 24 hours of the day, seven days a week, with altered ’ rosters and lio certainty of stability and finishing, time, irregular meal I hours, working in all weather, liabil- • ity to transfer or to be sent away from home for relief purposes, the responsibility for the safety of the ■ travelling public and because an error in judgment may at any time result in the loss of an. employee's career, ; added strain encountered due to rush and emergency conditions, etc. REJECTED BY CABINET “At this point the representatives of the organisations were under the . impression that a satisfactory solution to the trouble had been reached. ' The representatives of the men later met the Deputy-Prime Minister and the Ministers of Railways and Labour, and were informed that Cabinet . had discussed th? position and had . decided hat it would not be possible to ' grant to our members the allowances . as agreed upon between the represenI tatives of the organisations and the , General Manager tn conciliation, as in > the opinion of the Government any • allowance granted to the railwaymen would influence the decision of the . Court of Arbitration at the present . sitting. 3 “Long discussions took place and , on three occasions short adjourn- . merits were necessary in order to al- , low the parties to confer on points 1 that had been raised during the discussions. It did appear to the repre- , sentatives of the organisations that . negotiations had broken down, but ; eventually Mr Holyoake informed the , deputation that certain aspects I’” been raised, with which he and his > Cabinet colleagues had not been con j versant, and he requested that the 1 discussions be resumed. They were resumed, but they failed to reach a ; settlement.”