THE RAILWAY ENGINE MEN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 98, 20 January 1919, Page 6

THE RAILWAY ENGINE MEN

'.'/■■ I REPLY TO MINISTER'S STATEMENT. ' Speaking to a reporter, regarding the Minister's statement that he was not going to allow the Locomotive Association to get any advantage <ver the other members of the railways service; tho secretary of the Locomotive and Engineers, Firemen, and Gleaners' Association (Mr. M'Arley), said that it would be very nice'indeed if the Minister always applied that principle when considering service matters. _ . "The members of his association, 'he said, "had.no desire to get any advantage, andvwould even be pleased if ho gave the locomotive men the same consideration as others. Take, for instance, the war bonuses recently granted to tide the men over hard times, the Department refused to allow the locomotive men to be paid the bonus on the number of days or part of days' that they worked, 'They receive'the bonus for Bix days in the week, and as the locomotive men are called- upon to do much overtime, they can only be paid overtime rntes on.their ordinary wage, viz.,. 13s. 6d. and 12s. a day for engineers, and 10s.- 6d. and 9s. 6d. for firemen. Therefore, when these men work overtime they receive less for that time than they do for ordinary time. For instance, a first grade engineer gets five-sixteenths of a penny more per hour for overtime after 48 hours is completed than he does for ordinary time. The sec'ond grade (engineer receives the\ samo rate for overtime as for ordinary time. The first and second grade firemen roceivo one penny an hour less.for overtime than they do for ordinary time. Therefore, those who in receipt of extra holidays, sick leave, etc., as a set-off for overtime do not suffer in this way with bonuses. The Minister has quoted that the locomotive men are in receipt, with bonuses, in Now, Zealand of the same wage as rules in Australia, but the comparison is most unfair as living is not bo high in Australia, and, moreover, tluy apt overtime on the rate of pay published by the Minister."

The Invercargill 'branch-of the Locomotive Association carried the following, resolution unanimously:—"That in the event , of negotiations not being satisfactory, this branch is in favour of drastic action, meaning thereby a strike of the locomotive men, but not until every means has beer: exhausted of get-' ting our request recognised." During the discussion of the Wellington branch's circular letter, it was understood that the Minister of Railways was to meet representatives of the association about February. It was therefore unanimously decided,if the association's requests were not recognised at this interview that this branch was prepared to back up our brothers in the north, and if necessary "go out" to obtain our juet claims.