INCREASE IN WAGES

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1946, Page 4

INCREASE IN WAGES

-Press Association

RAILWAY TRIBUNAL'S DECISION FIVE-DAY WEEK DEMAND

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, May 6. The decision of the Railways Tribunal on the application of the staff organisations for a forty-hour, fiveday week was announced to-day. It provides that the ordinary hours of duty per week for employees shall be not more than five shifts of not more than eight hours per shift, Sunday excluded, or that where more than eight hours ordinary time per shift may be worked under the existing conditions of employment, the ordinary hours shall not exceed forty weekly, to be worked in not more than five shifts, Sunday excluded. Where ari employee, having actually been on duty for five shifts, is called upon to be on duty for another shift in the same week, he shall be paid in addition to his salary or guaranteed weekly wage at rate and a-half for four hours anddouble rate thereafter. The minimum payment for any employee required to be on duty for a sixth shift is to be four hours at rate and a-half. This minhnum payment does not, apply to employees- in the main-. tenance, , signal and electrical rranches, whQ work Jess than four hours on the sixth shift in order to visit their homes,' or ;to any tablet porter who wqrks less than foui* hours on th£ sixth shift prior to being relieved by another employee,. or when taking up duty after having been so "relieve"d. The order does not apply to employees whose conditions are governed by industrial agreement, or award or to special call-out duty unless the employee has already been.on duty for five ordinary shifts in the same week. The -order is not to conflict with orders No. 21 and >4 previously- issued.