RAILWAYMEN FIRM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 8

RAILWAYMEN FIRM

A.S.R.S. REACHES DECISION

MR. MASSEY TO RECEIVE A

DEPUTATION

The executive of tho Amalgamated Society of Hailway Servants sat ngaiu yesterday and reached certain decisions regarding the demand of the railwaymen lor better conditions than are proposed in the report of the Railway Commission. The executive recognised that the recommendations of the Commission did not necessarily represent the intentions of the Government. It decided upon the course of action to be followed in the event of the Government failing to make concessions considered by the railwaymen to be essential.

The first move to be made by the executive of the A.S.R.S., which is prepared now to act without further consulting the brandies of the organisation, is to interview Mr. Masaey, in his capacity 1 of Minister of Hailways. Mr. Massov will not be sufficiently recovered from his operation to receive tho deputation this week, and the officers of the A.S.R.S. have indicated that they will await Jim recovery before pressing tlv matter further. The officers of the locomotive men's organisation have reached a similar decision. They wish to interview Mr. Massey before taking further acton, nnd they will wait until he h able to see them. "Militant Methods Pay," Members of the executive of the A.S.R.S. express determination to press their claims to what they can regard as a satisfactory issue. "The railwaymen have made up their minds to get justice from the Government," said one of .them yesterday. "The increases proposed in the report of -the Railway Commission are not adequate, and if they represent the extent of the concessions that the Government is prepared to make, then the railwaymen will have to take strong measures to enforce their domands. Tho railwaymen have shown already that they are not extremists. They have done their best to get fair treatment by argument and negotiation. They aro not going to yield any further. "Just look at the position. The railwaymen are engaged in a highly skilled trade.- They spend years learning their work, and they carry enormous responsibilities. They are being offered a basic wage of about J!3 18s. a week, and they are Trold'in effect..that, the industry cannot afford to pay them any more. They are warned that if' they press' for a flecent wage they will be attacking public interests, disregarding their duty as citizens, and so forth. They have listened to that sort' of ta'k for a long time., and what is their reward? They see unskilled workers securing by militant methods better wages than the railwaymen have been able to get by all their appeals to reason and justice. When the. waterside workers, engaged in an unskilled trade, and already bettor paid than the railwaymen, want more money, they demand it, and the emiiloyers come halfway to meet them. When the railway men ask for more money the railway management, takes a high and mighty attitude and says that the cost would be too great. We are being forced to believe that militant methods pay." FULL DAY'S "STOPPAGE WANTED DURING VISIT OF PRINCE OP • WALES. By Tclcßranh—Press ABHoe.iation Greymouth, March IG. A meeting of 150 railwaymen, representing all,'branches of the service, passed tho following resolutions in refereneo to Mr. Justice Stringer's report:— "That this mass meeting of Greymouth members of the A.S.R.S.. TC.T\C.A., and R. 0.1.. call on their fello'v workers throughout the Dominion to arrange through their executivss, for stoppage of work for one full day on a date to be mutually agreed upon in order to demonstrate that the service as a whole is united for drastic action unless their inst demands for increased nay are satisfied." "This meeting wishes to draw the public's attention to a misleading statement published in the Press crediting air increases in railway freights and. fares aro due to the extra cost of pay granted to the staff, whereas the enormous increase in cost of stores and material would, to o'it- minds, warrant the higher rates gnzelted." "That we demand our executive of tho three societies to take a 'ballot of the members fnv tho purpose of affiliating the three societies." "That tins meeting protests against the wilful destruction of clothing, etc., by the military authorities in face of the •'net that orders had been taken and paid for." "That this meeting desires that the stop-work meeting be arranged for a day during the visit of the Prince of Wales, as we believe that the money which is being spent on his entertainment is simply wasted, and should bo used to rnise the «ocinl standard of workers of the Dominion." A DANNEVIRKE OPINION. fly Telegraph—Pros? Association. Dannevirke, March lfi. Dannevirke railwaymen, at a special meeting, passed a resolution urging their executive to reject Mr. Justice Stringer's award of Is. a. 'day increase, and stating that they are prepared to back the executive to a man in whatever action it deems advisable, as thev consider there is "o prospect of obtaining a peaceful settlement. They also take exception to the statement mnde by the Prime Minister tn the Press that the average earnings of guards are from 10s. to ,£"i per week, nq being Ixith misleading and incorrect. The schedule minimum rate is J3 12s. a week, with a weekly reduction of approximately 4s. for superannuation payment, leaving practically only ,£3 Bs. for Second Division men to live on. Any pav in addition to this (with some exceptions) is mnde only by members working excessive overtime, which should not be calculated in showing the average pay for a 48-hour week. STRUCK POLICY DISAPPROVED. By Telerranh-Pr'ss A.°3ofl:itinn Auckland, March 16. Thn following motion was carried by the Auckland branch of the Railway Officer.;' Institute to-night:—"While hearing with indignation the judgment of the Railway Inauivy Board respecting the claims made by officers for improved salaries, hours, and conditions of employment, this meeting expresses its strong disapproval of any policy of strike or 'so slow' as prejudicial to tho best interests of'all members, of the service, resulting in immense injury to the whole Dominion." The branch passed a further resolution' disapproving in detail of ihe recommendations ot the board regardinir officers' claims.