THE LOCOMOTIVE MEN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 124, 19 February 1919, Page 5

THE LOCOMOTIVE MEN

SUBURBAN SERVICES AND SUNDAY , TRAINS The general*secretary of the N.Z. Locomotive Engineers; Firemen, and Cleaners' Association (Mr. W. M'Arley) states that strong exception is taken to the demand made by the public for Sunday trains and suburban services to be restored. At present tho locomotive men are working- considerable overtime iu order to cope with the present traffic, and many of them are working GO hours a week. If the suburban services are fully restored it will mean that their health will givo way and the service completely break down. "The public," he eays, "should have some consideration for the men who are doing their best under circumstances over which they .hiwe no control. For instance, the mou who remained on the job were not responsible for the resignations. The poll-' ticians are just as , much to blame for resignations as anyone else. The sbiff of locomotive men has been so depleted by resignations and war enlistments that, many of the men* have not had a holiday for three years. There are not n.aiiy of the public who have not had. somo respite from work during that period, and Before any trains. are restored the men demand that they be granted their holidays at any rate. "As_ for Sunday trains, when they were in full swing before the war the men in 'Wellington had to work three Sundays a month. Let the public ask themselves How they would appreciate doing: 60 hours' work in a week and then working all day Sunday. That is what it would amount to if Sunday trains are restored. It may not be common knowledge that a locomotive man on the N.Z. Railways rarely has a meal with his family, during the wek, and Sunday is the only day lie can sit down vith his family. For the public to demand that lie p°rve thmvj'nn Sunday is an outrage. If the public had to retain a special staff for Sunday trains there would be no cheap fares. However, the Conditions of work of a locomotive man are such that not one of them loses an opportunity of getting away from it, and this has besn accentuated during the war until now there is not enough loft to tarry out the wishes of the public. Until they make the job attractive, it appears that, there is no remedy, as the present staff cannot meet the demand by iiny means." : "