MUCH DISCONTENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 28, 17 February 1937, Page 6

MUCH DISCONTENT

— Preu Aiiociation.)

Condition* of Work on Raitways COMMISSION DEMANDED

(By Telesraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Responsibl© officials of the railwaymen's organisation in Canterbury state chat there is grave discontent among locomotive drivers in the service over their conditions of work, particularly th© long hours they are called upon.to drive trains. A resoiution which has been passed Dy the Canterbury branch of the Locomotive Drivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association, callingj for investigation into the administration of their department, mentions the "seething discontent" which, it is said, exists throughout the service, and from statements mad© by . the men there are general signs of alarm about the situation. It is even 6uggested that if the department ment continues the present eystem of working locomotive men. its long rgpord of safety might be endangered. In Canterbury the situation has been orought to a head by the demand in Auckland for a public inquiry into a collision between an Auckland- Wellingcon gjoods train and a New Plymouth express, The Canterbury branch of the association held a meeting on Sunday and passed a resoiution unanimously endorsing the action of the Auckland branch in calling on the executive council to press for a public inquiry into the collision, "the Canterbury branch , not having any confidence in the inquiry boards as at present set up by th© department, nor their pro* cedure at such inquiries." The meeting also passed the following resoiution:— "We further call upon the executive council to press for a commission to investigate the whole administration of the locomotive department, or that the conditions of locomotive men in general «e placed before the Prime Minister, as we view with great alarm the seething discontent existing among locomotive men throughout the service.''