CASUAL RAILWAY HANDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2280, 14 October 1914, Page 4

CASUAL RAILWAY HANDS

In the press of business arising out of the war there is a possibility that many matters of domestic concern may bo for the moment overlooked by Ministers. They are carrying a heavy burden of work and worry just now, and cannot be expected to deal personally with the multifarious- minor administrative matters with £he responsibility for which they arc sometimes unfairly saddled by thuir opponents. But there are certain matters for- which they must-take - the responsibility when the facts are fully placed before them, and one of these is tho position of casual railway employees of long standing. The question was before Parliament this session in the form of petitions, from the men, one of which came from local employees, and is before us as we write, it sets out that the petitioners are casual employees on the Government railways, and have all been, from ten to twenty-six years in the Service and have fulfilled all the duties and obligations in the same manner as employees placed on the permanent staff. They ask that all "casuals" of over ten years' service. shall bo given the same benefits as are given to permanent employees, with the exception of superannuation, which they db not desire. On the fa-ce of it the petition is a, reasonable one, and it is not surprising that the Parliamentary Committee to which it was referred recommended that it should receive tho favourable consideration of tho Government. It must be obvious to any fair-minded person who takes a common-sense view of the matter that men who liave been in ths employ of the Eailways Department for from ten to twenty-six years, though technically classed as "casuals," are entitled to consideration and to be placed on a batter footing. We are aware- that the Department opposed the request of" the petitioners, and that it has raised' objections on previous occasions, but this, is a matter of policy, and it is for tho Minister and the Government to decide the question, not the Departmental officers. A man who has given faithful service to the State over & long ( period of years, as. these men have done, is just as much entitled to consideration as those who have been fortunate enough to enter the employment of the State on a more stable footing. Are years of service to count as nothing merely because a man began as a "casual" employee? Ministers, we know, are'busy men these strenuous days, but now that the matter has been brought under their notice they will surely spare the time to see that these men receive the consideration they are entitled to, and which previous Governments failed to give.