FIVE-DAY WEEK FOR RAILWAYS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24898, 11 June 1946, Page 4

FIVE-DAY WEEK FOR RAILWAYS

STAFFING A MAJOR PROBLEM VACANCIES FOR 2839 - EMPLOYEES A major problem in endeavouring to provide a five-day 40-hour week for its employees is facing the Railways De, partment, which operates a Dominionwide transport service for 24 hours a day and on seven days a week. With a present staff of 25,917, the department has vacancies for 2839 employees, said an official at the head office in Wellington in reply to inquiries yesterday by “The Press.” Of these, 1669 are required to implement a five-day week and 1170 can be employed in overtaking arrears of work accumulated during the war years. When available 1038 railwaymen, still in the armed forces, will help in making up the staff required. Apart from the staff shortage, the five-day week presents many difficulties to the department. Few industrial J have their employees so widely distributed throughout the country or are so sensitive to the impact of varied conditions, the official explained. Practically evepr fluctuation in shipping and conditions of trade and in the movement of primary and other products is reflected in the demand for railway transport, with consequent variations in day-to-day staffing requirements. Emergency arrangement* to meet dislocations of traffic due to bad weather conditions or other circumstances inevitably have a similar effect. Many railway employees occupy positions at small stations calling for attendance on six days a week and can be granted a day off duty only by sending relief staff from a distance. Owing to these conditions, it was impossible to ensurd the regular granting of a day off duty tor all operating employees, the official added. However, the department, under a policy announced six months ago, is engaged in planning five-day week rosters throughout the service and’these will be put into operation wherever possible, although variations to meet special circumstances will always be necessary. < Overtime Conditions In common with many other industries, the Railways Department Is seriously affected by labour shortage; but the provision of a five-day 40-hour week would still be difficult even with an adequate supply of suitable labour. The principle of a five-day 40-hour week was introduced in the Railways Department in 1936. At first, a “tolerance” operated by which four to eight hours in excess of 40 hours could be worked as extra time at the ordinary time rate. This system was gradually eliminated and for some time overtime rates have been prescribed after eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. A further change occurred last month. when the Government Railway* Industrial Tribunal made an order providing tor all time worked on a sixth shift in any week to be paid for at rate and a-half for the first four hours find double rate thereafter. In effect, this gives the railwaymen overtime conditions on a five-day week principle but does not by any means solve the problem of limiting their hours of work to five days a week. During the war, 7000 railwaymen, representing 26 per cent, of the prewar staff, were released for service in the armed forces and very extended hours were worked in all branches. The large majority of those men have now returned to the department but the lifting last January of the essential industry conditions under which the railways had been operated has, on the other hand, resulted in a loss of a number of employees. The workshops and some other branches are working a fiveday week and the department fj con» ducting an extensive recruiting campaign aimed . particularly at building up the traffic and locomotive-operating staffs, where the greatest difficulty is found in regulating the hours of-duty,;