THE RAIL WAYMEN.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1924, Page 1

THE RAIL WAYMEN.

EORTY-EfilllT UOUILS.' I HY TKI.KfiItAPII —Pint riIKSS ASSOCIATION.] AY ELLINGTON, May 20. All tile men in the Second Division of tiic Railway Service, with the exception of locomotive drivers, firemen and cleaners, who are in a separate organisation from the members ol the A.S.R.S. and who did not go out on 'trike, were pul on the 18-h.iuis weekly basis as from to-day. Those men idloctod tile tratlin employees, such as guards, porters, shunters, signalmen, maintenance men. storemen, and workshop employees. All men ailectcd. will, of course, receive increases in their weekly wages proportionate to the increase in the number ot hours to be worked, from 44 to 18. The lowest, rate of increase to tin.' basic wage earner will be i-. .id per week. This v. ii! mean that the basic wage in future will he £1 i* Id lor .18 hours as against 23 l'.'s lOu lor -l-l Ilnurs ll' ln-rc to lure. Tim nmii will he pnid the. •ndinary hourly rale no “■ I" hours, with overtime tlierealtcr. An important point in coonccicni with the decision to increase tuc hour* of work is that it. will mo involve. •!:•• disfnis-a.i 0! any men. rciiioiio.--:tj, transfer.-!, and other change' whi.li may take plain*, in addition to the oc. veiopiiienti and extension ol tlie ar-t-ire. which will probably prove more easy of accomplishment under the now '.y-'leni Gian under the old. will enable ,he Department to absorb the labour that is available, and any surplus that tlu*;*;' mi-llii coii'fqiH’iit o?j n iv-ar-•‘iiii«_ct*nii*i:4- nl m Ikmlijlus. lulluv* inji the increase in tin- hours of work. Tin- inauguration of the -18-hour week pir-sed oil without incident at Retone workshops, the men resuming ami proceeding with their work as before.

THE I’RIYATK EMI’I.OYERS. DUNEDIN. May 25. It was stated by a local railwayman tin's morning that the Chamber of Commerce lias been active in attempting to bring in a- 18-hours’ week lor all industries. Mr l'eter Barr. a< tnc' !’> csidenl id" tlie associated chambers stall'd that the quest inn had never been dealt with by either the local chamber. or the Dominion organisations.

K.F.C.A. AND A.8.R.8. AYELLTNGT’ON. May 2(1. Mr AY. .McArley. General Secretary „f the E.F.f'.A.. stated to-day that his organisation had prior to the strike never been approached by tlie A.ri.ll-.S. for assistance of any description. Any statements to the contrary were quite incorrect.

“On the 24th. April." said Mr Mo-Aib-y. “Mr Connelly. Piesident of the A.S.R.S. asked leave to address the Executive Council of the K.I'.C.A.. and this was agreed to. Mr Connelly asked tlie Executive Council <>f tbe K.F.C.A. to instruct iis members uni to run trains with any member of the .A.S.R.S. who returned to work without authority. Du being questioned as to his reason, Mr Connelly stated that he was having trouble in holding lu s member* back from working, lie also made a .statement that ho was not concerned about the question as to whether they got a Commission or not. as their chief concern was the getting cf a change of Government. Upon it being pointed out that.such procedure, per medium of a strike, meant practically revolution would not be as lasting as a constitutional way. and, moi'cver. would probably mean the wrecking of the country. Mr Connelly had replied that the country was only a capitalistic one, and was not worth anythin;; to the worker, and the Alliance of Labour was only waiting to down tools. At Ids (.Air McArley’si request the President of the K.F.C.A. then replied that the majority of the E E.C’.A. members were New Zealanders bred and born, and would liol stand for such procedure, lie also felt sure that if the A.S.R.S. members heard their President’s .statement made in such cold blood- the majority would return to work." “This address of the A.S.R.S. president. alienated all sympathy,” said Mr McArley, “that the Executive Conned of the K.F.C.A. had towards the strike issue. In view of statements being made Miind closed doors, and at political meetings of the Labour Raft.' • *4 is only fair to my organisation that the above facts should be given full miblicity.” r .