THE RAILWAY DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 309, 23 September 1920, Page 4

THE RAILWAY DISPUTE

LOCO. MEN STILL DISSATISFIED . SERIOUS POSITION REACHED i Something liko a deadlock has been • readied in the dispute between the Bail- * way Department and tho locomotive braiiclt of tho service (the Engineers, : liU-emen, undi Cleaners', Association). i After the railway strike in May last special tribunals ivere sot up to consider tho claims of the railwaymen. The members of the traffic brunch (the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants) and the clerical branch (the Railway Officers' Institute) accepted tho recommendations of the tribunals that dcult with their cases. Put the locomotive branch has not accepted. A ballot of tho members of the branch resulted in a large majority voting against the acceptance of the terms proposed by the tribunal. Since, then the executive of the E.F.C.A. has conferred with tho Minister of [Railways, but 110 settlement has been reached, and it is reported now that the locomotive men are threatening another stoppage. The chief point in dispute relates to hours of work. Tho locomotive men are demanding a forty-four hours week. This was not a part of their original claim, and the Department is not prepared to make the concession, which ivould have to be extended to other branches of the railway service and to otlier Government Departments. Tho point has been discussed with the Minister of Railways (Mr. Massey), but no settlement has been ' reuched.