COMPULSORY UNIONISM FOR RAILWAY EMPLOYEES

Chronicle (Levin), 27 April 1946, Page 2

COMPULSORY UNIONISM FOR RAILWAY EMPLOYEES

V WELLINGTON, "A-pril 20. Compulsory uuiouism is applied to tlie railways service by regulatious undei the Goveriimeut Raihvays' Aci gazetted at the beginniug of the moiith. Tlie coutiuued emplo.vment by the itailway Department of any person other than administrative offieers and pcrsoiis specially exempted bv the Ministcr undei his statutory authorlty, will be condi tional henceforth upou the" employec,liolding nieniliership in one-of four service' orgauisatious, that is, the A.S.R.S., Euginedrivers ', Eircmens' and Clcan ers' Associatiou, New Zealand Railway Ofticers' Institute, and New Zealand Railway Tradesiuens ' Associatiou. Seetion 28 of the Slatutes Amend ment, 1945, imposes an oldigation 011 the four service organisations to admit to membership cvery railway employee who 111 tlie regulatious requirc to, be a mcmber. I11 the event of an otnployee failing to apply for membership or fai! ing to pay his union fees, the depannient may deduct the amouuts from lii salary or wages and pay tliem to Ihe service orgauisation coneerned. Tlie regulatious designed to providi for compulsory union ism 011 the rai! wavs, were issued 111 1940, but there wasome doubt as to lvhether they come wilhin tlie powers couferred by th.principal Act. These powers were ac cordingly clarilied by the Act of his; session. The Minisler lias jiower to exempt any enqdoyee or class of em plovees from tlie operatiou of Ihe regu lalions, a power which could be used to mect a ca.se of con'scicntious objectio: to unionism.

The neAV regulatious provide further that engineers in the department 's em ploy shall not be eligilde for promotion beyond sub-grade 2 of gradc 3 (salary £535 yearly) unless. registered under the Engineers' Registration Act, 4924. Ro turned servicemen may l>e exempted from the operation of tliis barrier for two years or more, to give theni time to qualify.' Otherwise, civil, mechanical and clectrical engineers are all included It has also become necessary that mechaniciaiis in the signal and elec. trical branch should be thoroughly trained in tlieorv as well as the praqtiee of their work and to facilitate this training, inechanician trainees will in future bb appointed to tlie permaneni staflP, suliject to three years' probatiousliip during which they must pass examinations in electricity and magn'ctism and in tliree stages of telcphony'.- The ages of entry for future applicanfs will be between 1(5 and 20, but niechamc.ians already in the service as casual employees, will be allowed three years in which to Qualify, Avhereupon, if otherwise suilable, they will lie aceepted for the permaneiit staff. There is-po-vver to -ex tend the qualifying. period mainlv toi the purpose of protecting the interest.of employees still in the armed forces Further examinations must be passed to obtain promotion but the riglits of ser vicenien are fully protected. Apprentice electricians who pass the necessary examinations within the first three years, will receive a diploma alloAvanci of a penny hourlv throughout the re mainder of their apprenticeship.