THE RAILWAY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 59, 4 December 1918, Page 7

THE RAILWAY SERVICE

INCREASES IN PAY DESIRED MINISTER PROMISES LEGISLATION NEXT SESSION., The claims of the 'New Zealand Locomotive i/iigiueers, Firemen, and Cleanors. Association for increases in pay and better working conditions were supported by a large deputation of members of Parliament which waited, upon tfco Minister of Uailwnys (the Hon. AV. H. Herrics) yesterday morning.. Messrs. i'J. Henderson, president, 'and W. jM'Arley, general secretary of the association, were also present. The deputation was introduced by Air. U, Witty (Kiccnrlon). The first speaker was Hγ. S. G. Smith (Taranaki), who eaid that he had been in the liailway Service for twenty years. Ho'pointed out the.disadvantages unrter ivhich tho men worked by reason of long home, and said that the responsibilities of the employee:) had increased. I Mr. A. W. Vcitch (Wnnganui) .stressed the demand for a penal rale for night work. In his judgment, it was very desirable that higher rates of pay than ordinarv rates eliould be paid to locomotive inen for work' done at night time. The association had "requested that en-gine-drivers and h'remeii should be.jttid at the rate of time and a half for all work done between 9 p..m. and 6 a.m. That was a very reasonable request. Ihe men should bo paid adequately fnr the great responsibilities that devolved upon them. In the interests of public safety, and of'the Department, war bonuses should be abolished entirely, and an amendment'made to the schedule of the Railways Act which would give to raiiwaymeu a rate of pay and working.conditions 'that' Would induce them to remain in the Department, and give to the country the value and benefit of. their training and experience. This should be done iii order that the Railway Department might bo kept up, to the very High standard of efficiency that it had possessed for many years past. Mr. Witty: All the members of Parliament aro sympathetic with the men. ' ' . The Minister's Reply. In reply, the Minister pointed out thai: tho service was divided'into two. divisions. The men in the litbt division were represented by the Kailway Officers .Institute, whidi consisted of about 280U members.' Tho wages men in tho. second division wen! represented by two societies, tho. Amalgamated Society of Hailwuy Servants, and the: I,ocomolivo Engineers, firemen, and Cleaners' Association. 'J' ho first' organisation contained about 8000 men, and the second .some 2000. Although very important, the latter body did. not ■■represent all the ■ m«u in (the railway service, and it would/bo possible • for him and for the' Government to consider the grievances of one Bcction of the employees without considering those—if there were any—of tbo others. It" they dealt with the. grievances of one portion of the..Railway Department, they\ might be doing an injustice to. the , others, who 'had not expressed their opinion. So far ho had not,received 'any Complaints, or any deputa-' lion, from the A.S.R.S. •■ :: I .' .. Mr. Isitt: Hoiv,. , by doing juslke to these inen; will you be doing an injustice to tho others? ' . ' ■ The Minister: , Suppose I increase the. pay of the-engine-drivers by 55.? ■Mr; Isitt: They, aro entitled to it. Mr. Hemes: i .cannot increase the one without consulting the heads of tho other societies. . ' ' Mr. Witty: They would accept an increase. . . . Legislation Will Be Necessary. ■Mr. Herries: I cannot increase the pay of the engineers without increasing that of tho others.. ..I cannot agree to one branch getting an advantage over the other societies. It is impossible to alter the. wages of the railway servants unless it is done by Act of Parliament, if: can .only be done in'a session of Parliament, and by consultation with the representatives of the various unions. ■'Tf you increase the wages of the second division, naturally, the first division will want theirs lobe increased as well. .

' The Minister went oh to explain Hint the reason why'the bonus system, was. adopted was that it could he readily adjusted by Cabinet. It was considered that that, was the, best,way .to meet the varying increase in the cost of living during tbe war period. Ho contended that under the bonus system the railwaymen had been better treated than had the Civil Servants. Three bonuses had been provided for, making an addition' of 3s. per day to the pay of tho men.' .Mr.Veiteh Seemed to.think that that should be made statutory. Mr. Vcitch: More than that. The Minister vepliqd that if that were done the wages would be in excess of what was paid in Australia. Married men were receiving 16s. Cd. by means of. the,bonus. However, he was finite prepared to talk the over with retire-, seutatives of the various organisations, mul lifter peace was sighed to put before the House next session an amendment of theGovernment, , Railways Act. The bonuses would continue! until there was some alteration,, in the Act. But. owing to" the exigencies of the present situation, he did not think it wbs reasonable 1o ask..him to Alter .'the Act this session. He w'oiild not alter the schedule without consulting the representatives , of the A.S.K.S., and it would b? impossible for. him to do that this, session. Mr. Hornsby: We nil take up the position that .the .men Rre .not sufficiently paid. ,'. * "Prepared to Face the Music." \ Mr. Hemes replied : that lie, was quite prepared to ™6 into that matter and consult the 'different societies. "I am diiice prepared to face the music," he added, "and if I have to keep on, the two 10 per cents, in order to pay tho extra wages .Twill have to do it." , Members: Hear, hear. Mr. Herries Tenmrked that the 3s. which was being paid' by way of bonus to the second division and the increases which had been allowed to the first division meant an expenditure of between , ■ .£soo,ooo'and JEGOO.OOO n year. Tho 10 per cent, increase on fares nnd freights came to about JMOO.OOO a. year.. They .had to put on the extra'lo per cent, in order to pay the increased wages. Tn the recess he was quite prepared, to meet the representatives of tho various bodies and seo if a schedule could be arranged which, as far as wages, were concerned, would meet with general satisfaction. Tf the increases were agreed to—and he suyposed they would be—he would have W );o into the matter of ways and means to meet them. The laiifl' would have to be adjusted. As far as possible they were trying to do away with night work. U was only in necessary enses thai; night trains were run. but if it wero possible he did not want to run any at all. Jlr. Tsirh Will you ilefiniMv promise us that you will go into this matter Beriouslv, and do tho best you can? Jlr. Hemes: Yes. I am prepared to meet the representatives of the societies, say, after Christmas, nnd have a consultation with regard to the new schedule. Mr. ,T. V. Luke (Wellington North): There will be no alteration in tho bonus in the meantime? . Mr. Hf.riios: No. The new schedule will be a substitute for the bonus. You cannot, have a new schedule and a bonus as well. Mr. Jlukn: Will you be in a position in brill? down a scheme of the beginning of next se.isio'i of Parliament covering Hip whole service? Afr. '[ferries: Yes; what T want to bring down is an amendment of the schedule of the Government Railways Aft. Mr. Veileh said Ihat an effort should lie niiido to nmend the law this sp.-sinn. Tt, was the uncertainty as to the fiitnro which made the men discontented. Mr. AViltv also thought that a Rood deal could be.done this'se-sion if tho'Minister got right (o work. Both Mr-srs. M'Arley and Henderson pointed out that I here was a good deal of discontent in the service. Mr. Henderson said thai something should be done immediately if trouble was to be prevented.