RAILWAYMEN’S HOURS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1917, Page 1

RAILWAYMEN’S HOURS.

A FLUTTER IN THE SERVICE-. CAUSED BY GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT. The following passage Iron) the report of the General Manager oi the NYw \Zealand Railways (Mr. E. 11. Hiloy), has caused somewhat ot a flutter In the railway service:

“The ability of the department to maintain the normal train service up to the end of the financial year in spite of the depleted, stall' was to a great extent due to the loyal and cheerful services o! all grades ol llurailway employees. With the con tinned enlistment of the staff for military sei'Viieo to the extent indicated the curtailed train service under contemplation can only be undertaken satisfactorily during the summer months, when the live stock and gra-tn traffic, entails much special running b v the most complete and loyal co-

operation of all members of the rail-, way service. The effort required when the. business is heavy in the summer will entail longer hours and consider-, able sacrifice on the part of all concerned, and specially upon the depicted staff in the traffic working and running branches; but toe manner m which the staff have met their obligations in the past leaves no ground fm loubt that they will carry out im-

rudingly their share of the extra obligations thrown upon them on account of tile war and perform then duties cheerfully as a national service."*’ Interviewed by a New Zealand ‘Times” representative Mr. R. Hampt )ii( president ol the Amalgamated S <l_ ...ioty of Railway Servants), said:

••This statement is causing some conorn amongst railway men generally, ■specially in the traffic department. It is taken as a hint that longer hours v i 11 have to be worked by the staff luring the coming season than have *von hitherto Iki<l to he worked. li •his is the intention then we may well sk ‘When are we going to reach the lioil?” Last grain season in Canterbury wo had a complaint 'from one man haL he bad to work Hi hours in one vcok; and, when we asked lor some re‘iof to be. afforded him. Hie- only reply ve got was that it was rogrcLtod that iwing to the shortage of the slafl there vas none . available. While other •nsts; might not be so bad as this parvular instance, wo liavy numerous files ,f correspondence from other centres, ntnphiiniiig ol the long; hours ol t being quite a: common thing for,, some men in the traffic department in responsible positions to fie kept <0 hours a week. This applies to tablet oorters. It is true that tlietimo-niay be broken and intermittent to a certain extent, but the breaks in the line are usually very slight and not uifficient to enable a man to get tiro•ter sleep and rest. I am afraid therefore. that if any attempt is made by the- Railway Department to further iu■rease these hours, some sort of a protest will have to lie made- We appreciate the references to our past services; but. as 1 have indicated already, whilst I have no doubt the great majority of the men are prepared and willing to make sacrifices a line must bo drawn some where. Tf conditions ire maintained as they- are, so far as hours .are concerned, let alone getting worse, there can lie no question but me of these days a serious accident will occur. Tt must he recognised that there ;is some breaking-strain to , man’s nerves and physique ; and. m the ease of the railway service-over-strain is dangerous not only to the men themselves, but to the travelling public as well.”