ALLEGED BANK CLERK SLAVERY

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 5

ALLEGED BANK CLERK SLAVERY

Sir,—With apologies for wasting yom time and valuable space, I take tip pen tq refute the unwarranted statements of your correspondent "Old Customer," who, after all, no doubt keeps a very trivial account. It seems to me it would be better for all concerned if outsiders, who know little of working conditions, would not try to create friction between bank clerks and their employers, as is being done by agitators in other classes of labour, to tho great disadvantage of industrial life in this fair country. Your correspondent talks about "tho systematic bringing back of men night after night to work." Personally, my night work for the year was done on two nights, including two half-yearly balances. On very rare occasions do the staff Work at night, and then only as a result of some error of their own (which of necessity must be rectified) and some prefer to 'work at night and idle or talk during the day to "old customers." Granted overtime is occassionally necessary, it is more than balanced by shorter hours on slack days, more especially at country branches. As to bank profits which are made by a very small percentage of a huge total of transactions, their size goes to show to what a great extent the public avail themselves of the advantages given by banking institutions, and the usefulness and the necessity they are to commercial and industrial life.—l am, etc., ONE OF THEM.

Sir,—Your correspondent, "Old Customer" writes a very able letter in support of "Bank . Clerk Slavery," as he calls it, which appeared in these columns on October 10. With your permission, Sir, I propose to make use of part of his letter in advocating similar cases occurring in the railway service, of which "Old Customer," in common with many others, is evidently not aware. His letter reads: — "This week I am writing the officials arc working Saturday afternoon and evening on-the usual terms—no pay. I heard of a case where a man in the country was required to work twenty-four hours' overtime in a week without remuneration. Why, the humblest workman in the Dominion is not asked to work one hour overtime without pay. It has become illegal to do so." So far so good. "Old Customer" has a good case, and I wish him luck; but he has overlooked the fact that a large number—aye, hundreds-Kif railway clerks aro working twenty-four hours a week overtime every week every year in this Domiiiion. I am sure ho will be surprised to hear that at almost every country station the average hours of stationuiastors and staff ore ten daily. In addition there are dozens of clerks at stations on tho Main Trunk who are called on to work five, six, and 6even hours every Sunday on the usual terms—no pay. If, through long hours or stress of business, or other cause, a railway' clerk pets "run down," and is off duty on the sick list, that time is "docked" when his annual leave is due. " . " . . The above nro facts which np amount of Departmental shuffling ett i?t aside. I hav» written these toft , home truths to let "Old Customer" know that thero. afe many others besjde bank clefks in."God's Own Country"'who ate Working overtitno as a labour'of love.-*I inn, etc., . MAIN TRUNK.