BRITISH RAILWAYMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14265, 16 January 1920, Page 5

BRITISH RAILWAYMEN

STANDARDISATION INSISTED ON. OLD DEMANDS REVERTED TO. IMPOSSIBLE OF CONCESSION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received January 15, 10 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 14. Although the railway position is indefinite, the adjournment of the discusssion upon the Government’s reply is regarded as a hopeful sign. The delegates participated in Hie liveliest four-hour debate, without coming to any decision. Some delegates declared that mere modifications of detail and the removal of certain anomalies would not meet the demands of the branches. Only the Government’s acceptance of the principle of standardisation, based on the highest wages, plus Hie war bonus, and the Government’s abandonment of the sliding scale, would justify the delegates in voling for a settlement.

Meanwhile Hie official organ partially lifts the veil from Hie last week’s proceedings. The organ publishes an official report of the meetings, showing only one item of Hie Government’s offer as accepted—namely, the standardisation of railway work by the elimination of a large number of grades. The meeting) rcsolvei! to demand 1 standardisation of wages, based: on the' highest rate of wages, plus the war wage, in each grade concerned, and rejected the principle of a sliding scale based on the cost of living, because the cost of living was not the only factor on which the wages should be fixed, and would tend to stereotype the present standard of comfort, and prevent any improvements being obtained irrespective of how the productive forces of society may improve. The meeting also demanded that a large number of railwaymen not included in the proposals should be included, and also that any settlement should be applicable to the Irish railwaymen. The decisions were communicated to Sir Eric Geddes, who wrote observing that delegates had overthrown the whole of the three months’ negotiations and reverted to the original demands, which the Government had decided it could not concede.

' LATER

GOVERNMENT’S MEW OFFER.

FRIENDLY AND FRANK DISCUSSION

ANXIETY FOR A SETTLEMENT,

(.Australian an«i N.Z. Gable Assn) Received January 16, 12.20 a.m. LONDON, January 15.

The meeting of the Railwaymen with Sir Erie Geddes this afternoon lasted two and a-half hours. The proceedings were most friendly, and very frank discussions took place. Sir Eric Geddes stated that the Government was prepared to make substantial concessions, but was not willing to yield on the general principle. Ho said that Cabinet was anxious that the railwaymen should give the new scheme a fair trial. Mr Thomas thanked Sir Eric Geddes for carefully considering the men’s objections to the Government’s proposals. He said that the matter would be fully submitted to a meeting of delegates this evening, and the National Union of Railwaymen would subsequently reply to the Government’.-; new offer. Sir Erie Geddes emphasised that the Cabinet was anxious to reach a settlement acceptable to all parties. Mr Thomas, replying, said that the National Union of Railwaymen would do all that it could to help towards that end. - ■