THE RAILWAY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 30, 30 October 1918, Page 8

THE RAILWAY SERVICE

STATEMENT OF GRIEVANCES

A CONFERENCE ASKED FOR

After a lengthy meeting of the executive council of tho New Zealand Locomotive Engineers, Firemen, and Cleaners Association, the following statenient has been authorised:— A demand has come from the members throughout New Zealand that a secret ballot shall bo taken as to whether tho members aro prepared to continue the cap-in-hiind policy or whether they desii'o to tako other action, and, if so, what aqtion is preferred. Tho decision of members to be in the hands of the executive council not later than the middle of December. Executive council has agreed to this; and steps are being taken place tho decisioti-in the hands of the JJominion councillors. If their decision agrees with the men's desire, then the ballot will be gone on with. The members consider that as an appeal to I arliament in 1913' (which appeal wsfs referred to tho Government by lxailway Committee), has brought no result it is useless pursuing this .method. However, against this the council states that they agreed with the Minister that no demands would be pushed for during die war,- under tho sincere belief that every one in tho community would do the same, but now they find thatjtho farmers and others have been pressing tile Government for the "last ounce of flesh." In addition, the men state that the Department has not kept faith with ■ the men, as they made an attempt to alter the men's conditions by asking ine firemen to do their own smoke boxes and ash pans of the engines they were on. Alterations wore made to some of tile runs. Men eligible for superannuation were kept on to the detriment of the vourffe men, many of whom resigned, and which threw a. lot of overtime on those that were left.' Engine loads were considerably increased, and men were harassed to take loads for which the engines were unfit. Now, the engines are m a very bad .state of repair, and the men are called upon to do work with c. tool in bad repair., Therefore, tho eii?cutivo arrived at the conclusion that, their com-/ pact with the Minister shall cease foitliwith. , , The members have approached every member of Parliament, and they agree that the men's demands are reasonable. As there .seems no final way of settling the dispute without.recourse to force, at present, the executive ha£ appealed to the Prime Minister to appoint a Conciliation Commissioner to adjudicate at a conference, between the Department and the men's representatives, the Government to carry out the Commissioner s recommendations. . The men at present demand that theirreal wages shall be placed ou 6omo basis as . existed ill 1900, and not less than the best wages paid to the men in Australia. This is reasonable in view of the fact/that living is so much higher'than it is in Australia, and living wage is also much higher, To place their wages on this footing a sum of ,£50,000 is required each year, and the men consider that the manipulating of the larger locomotives has saved this amount to the t Department. It is figured out that the saving last Vear, 1916-17, to tho State by the introduction of • larger locomotives amounted to .£57,000. The men have not received any more for manipulating these engines, although they require greater skill in handling the tnuns and caring for the engines. In regard to tho bonuses to the. men, the locomotive men are in an invidious position compared with those _ departments which do not work overtime but get concessions instead. The locomotive men get 110 overtime rates for the bonus, and. neither do 'they get any more bonuses if they woft one day or two days' overtime. The-bonus ceases alter, 'it'amounts to six shillings, although ths men- ore put to greater expense in tl>* wajtof food for overtime worked. It was not anticipated that the bo'nus wou!<? work out this way to the men, wl ilthoueh the Dewrtment was asked to alter this it failed to do so. The men are tired of the,old method of adjusting their'complaints, as there: no finality about the matter, and the Department has_ always gqt the last say, and everything is looked at-from tho ,:£ s. d, point of view, irrespective of what the men suffer in (Usabilities.