DAY BY DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 16096, 20 September 1924, Page 4

DAY BY DAY.

The report of the Board set up to inquire into the

The Report of Railway Board.

matters of wages and hours of the railway men has

apparently been well received throughout the Dominion, but not unnaturally the men are not enamoured of some of the conclusions. They must, however, bear in mind that the railway system of the Dominion is face to face with very stiff problems in the matter of motor transit and to successfully cope with this there must be economical administration and efficiency in the railway service. The alternative to these must be that the railway services will have to be considerably curtailed which will mean a corresponding reduction in staff. It is regrettable when privileges once secured have to be foregone, but in State concerns, as in private enterprises, the , logic of hard facts has to receive due heed and an effort made to adapt conditions to circumstances. Thus two important points had to be kept in view by members of the Board when making their report. One was the direction in the order of reference that any alteration in wages or conditions should only be made with due regard to the public interest and the maintenance of the service as a business concern paying a reasonable interest on the capital cost. The other point was the promise previously given by the Minister that there would be no staff dismissals. After a thorough investigation, the majority of the members of the board decided that a forty-eight hour week, in place of a forty-four hour week, is necessary in the traffic running section of the railways, in* order to secure efficiency. The Government has accepted that recommendation, along with a clause striking out the payment of overtime rates for work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., though it is provided as a concession that time and a half shall be allowed after a man has been ten hours on duty or over forty-eight hours in any week. In a strong protest against the recommendations outlined, a minority of the members of the board contend that the withdrawal of the existing night rate and the decision in respect to overtime strike at the very root and principle of the eight-hour day. An effective answer to this is made by the majority that the new clauses safeguard the employee against being required to work without overtime payment longer than an average of eight hours daily, though it is impossible to arrange an exact eight hours every day. There will probably be keen discussion over the recommendation that no increase in the hourly rate of wages be granted, but here again the majority report appears to be on safe ground. It holds that the present minimum rate represents an increase of 61.2 per cent over the minimum rate payable in 1914, and that the value of improved conditions and other concessions given since 1914 places the railway worker on a better standard than in pre-war years. While many of the men are reported to be bitterly disappointed at the report, it is said they have no intention of again resorting to extreme action, as they recognised that the strike in April was a very bad move.