NEW RAILWAY CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 41, 12 November 1919, Page 7

NEW RAILWAY CRISIS

BRITISH UNION REOPENS THE

ATTACK

LATEST DEMANDS

By Telegraph-Press Association— Copyright London, November 8. The railway wage question is e.gafr. assumis? a threatening aspect. .1. spei'-a; conference *f delegates to the National Union of Railwaymen decided that tho demand for ilio standardisation «>f »"fl(s<« must bo immediately settle©'. This decision was communicated to the Premier, who agreed to meet the executive ou November 13. The men demand the fullest standardisation, namely, that each grade shall bo paid highest pro-war rate paid in any railway, plus 335. war wage They contend that this principle was established in the case of the drivers and firemen, anti must be extended to all railway employees, though the Government contends that the settlement in tha drivers' case established no principle, but merely cave them their deserts. The "Daily Telegraph" states that delegates have adoptdd an extreme attitude, and have instructed the executive to inform the Premier that delay will not. be tolerated. Mr.. ,T. H. Thomas (general secretary to the National Union of Ttailwaymen) declarer, that the settlement must be lmmeoiate and satisfactory. It is suggested in some quarters that the renewal of the union's extreme demands must be taken in connection with the reported preparations by the Government for possible eventualities. The "Daily Express" state? that a circular was recently issued to the students in a large engineering college in London asking if they were prepared to volunteer their services. It is reported that 1800 volunteers enrolled for the London underground lines. The union officials assert that; an extensive organisation alrenoy is in existence for ■ (replacing strikers—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FRENCH RAILWAYMEN J S~ THREAT. Paris, November 8. Six bundled railwayman suspended work for the purpose of a meeting, at which thev favoured a general strike to Drevent intervention 5n Russia.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. RAILWAY DISPUTeTn AUSTRALIA THE DEADLOCK IN OVERLAND LINE. Melbourne, November 11. In consequence of a settlement not being arrived at in the strike, the Federal Government is closing the transAustralian line until arrangements are possible, to conduct hntfic without mterruDtion. The families of employees betweon Tarcooln and Kalgoorlio are being removed.—Press Assn. [On October 28 all the locomotive mon in the East-West railway ceased work. The passengers' who left Melbourne the previous night lor Western Australia woro held up at Port Augusta, and all traffic- on the line was suspended. The locomotive men are asking for increased wages and better working conditions. Their grievances were recently inquired' into, but the award given was not satisfactory to the men, and they gave notice that unless their requests were complied with they would "go into conference and ccas.- work." The men's complaint is that the whole of the drivers on the express service have been disrated from first to second and third class, ami correspondingly reduced in pay. I