RAILWAYMEN GET HIGHER WAGES

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1946, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN GET HIGHER WAGES

WEIiLINGTOM July 22. Increases in the salaries and wages • payahle in the First and Second Divi- j sions of the Railways Department were ! granted in an order announced today j hy the Government Railways industriai j Trihttnal. The Trihunal heard submis { sions on Friday, and examined them on Saturday. ] In general, the increase amounts to ! 4d an hour, with variations ahove and ! helow in accordance with the ntany 1 special cases within a complex depart-j ment, hut the net increase is roughlyi from ;{d to Id an honr. This is because : the increase incorporates the cost-of- 1 living allowance, approximating 3d an h. itr in many cases, which had been j additional to the previous order speci- ] lying salaries and wages. The previous ] order has been amended from and 111clading April 1, 1946. „ ;

A represeutative changc among tlie ! large uuniber of alterations in thc first '• division is the increase in the £640-£()9b range for grade 1 employees to £(i(i()- 1 £=10. but the old seale included a £i:>] coist-of -living allowance. In grade 7, an tnuployee who will now reeeive £240 fennerly received £200 and a £20 costof -living allowance. Provision is made for officers classi- j fled in grade 6 who have compieted 20 ! years' service to reeeive a niimiuiun ; salarv of £450 annually, sub.ject to de- ; partmental examination (piali lications. Thcir previouft lninimum was £400 and £13 cost-of-living allowance. Wqmen temporariiy employed under! divisional conditions as office assistants, i • short-hand typists, teleprinter operator.-. j and telcphone exchange attendants, and I in similar activitics, now range from i £125 to £275 in grade 3, £285 to £325 ! in grade 2, and £350 to £375 in grade 1, ' inaking the ratcs almost identical with] those. adopted in the Post and Tele j graph Department. The cominencing salarv for an appointce/- .avh'lt" A. schQol certificate ... cxaniiiiaftbnt wili' bA £.i ' :] di .visiQn , v' an 3-. • p.os?es§bit ,o|2 th e^n ' ' uhi ve'itsi fcyv etiif \d$&0'ns&ion' .boj^i at; £ ' rau ' sc r viV c. 4 '15.ii tfatkf- fp Cjjbif r ie£' fiffi#, etW- j plovees, | the scale:Nis .'16325 to £400', tJitVd';>lf-6V I temporar'y'^Iiiaugiitsmcivit is £37v5jnTh£ vrst year and £400 in' tlie second. Lodging allowances for cadets andj single Women are those fixed for the Public Service and the Post and Telefraph De])artment. For example, a cadet receiving £150 a year gets a lodging allowance of £25, and a cadet ] receiving £100 a year gets a lodging allowance of £50.

Tn the second division, teniporarv employees not otherwise specified are to • be paid fair and reasonable rates fixed from time to time by the General Manager of Railways, liaving regard to other rates paid in Ihe Department. Tlie mininuim rate for married male eibployees in tlie second division beeomes 2s ILjd an hour. Previously, if 2-s 7M1, excluding the cost-oi'-living iillowance! 'Represenla.ti ve new rates in the fiecpnd division range from 3s 44 d to Jjf8' an hour for guards, 3s 1 Jd to tl^fjd' for shunters, 3s (id to 3s 1 14 d" for erlgine'-d rivers, 3s 1 Id to 3s 5 Jd fo>fif'emen, and Is 11 ]d to 3s Oijd for eleaners. These. represent increases of 4d an hour, or fractions less, excluding the former cost-of-living allowance. There are new elassifications- -fer station agents, traffie assistants and eheckers for (he benefit of employees, previously receiving only the bastc adult rafe, who may now progress to' these levels after a year's competent service.' The sarne pYinciple has been applied to surfacemen, who have been raised to a semi-skilled class. In the maintenance section, represeutative new rates aro 2s S>]d an honr for leading bridge earpeiitcrs, 3s 9}1 an i hour for leading tradesmen, and Is 45it to 2s 8jd an hour for apprentices. Gangers are to reeeive from 3s 3d to 3s 5£d an hour,