THE GO-SLOW WORKER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2842, 5 August 1916, Page 10

THE GO-SLOW WORKER

INFLUENCE SPREADING IN NEV-' SOUTH WALES.

The New South AVales Railway Commissioners recently determined to instal a system whereby the work of each individual might be checked. The matter has 'had the attention of -the present Acting Chief Commissioner, Jfr. Fraser, tor two years. It had become apparent that, notwithstanding a big increase ill the number of employees, the increase in production was not on a corresponding scale. As a matter of fact (says the Sydney "Sim") statistics dsicloscd that in regard to the' locomotive department, while working expenses had increased 30 per cent., the net receipts had decreased 40 per cent. There had been, too, an increase of 40 per'cent. in working expenses, while there was no increase in the gross receipts per train mile, in spite oi' an advance of rates. In regard to the Evoleigh workshops, the staff had increased 153 per cent., while the increase of production had been only 37 per cent. Mr. Fraser said that, in part, these tigures were due to the go-slow policy of some of the employees. Ho said: "A fairly large percentage of them are working just as well as ever they did. Certainly more than 50 per cent. are. You will'find that private employers report that in some trades there is a falling otS of 30 per cent, in the, production of the individual. The falling off is approximately the same with regard to the same class of workers ill our department. "Tlie figures in. regard to Eveleigh are somewhat misleading. Tha output of engines is governed in this' way: "While there lias been nn increase of 37 per cent, in the output of engines, the increase in the tonnage and tractive power has been far greater in the aggregate tlian was the case in the curlier period mentioned, and on a tonnage basis the actual falling off in output is somewhat I jlinut 25 per cent. ;

I "This is very unsatisfactory and unexplainable', cxcept that in the aggregate the workers to-day are not so stilled as tiie.v used to be, and that there is a tendency to work slow amongst the percentage I have indicated. "This trouble has been manifesting itself for some tiina now, and 1 am glad to say that in some places there has been n distinct improvement. On that account J'am hopeful that some inrther improvement will be made. The representatives of the unions have all assured me that they are opposed to this Mow work movement. I am not pessimistic. The men in certain places have shown that they oan and will work. As we are able to detect the -deliberately slow worker we will put him out. Hut we are hopeful that every worker will see the wisdom of giving a fair return for his wages."