RAILWAY ENQUIRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1924, Page 4

RAILWAY ENQUIRY.

j-indincs or tiik iioaisd. I!Kl’Ol’T 11. Welliupton, 2.'inl August I!i21. •Silt.—In pursuance ill tin- iiiili cc nl np- !>■ >ititment inn! order of ri-fi-ri-tit-** ilnt-i-il the l.'ltli ilii.v uf .Inin-. I!!2I, whereby wo, with Messrs 11. Hunter iiml .M. .1. Alack, tv civ appointed it in 1 authorised to inquire intu mid report tu you v.lietlicr ill your opinion tiny, and, if so tvlutl. alterations should lit- niiiilc in the rates ol' pay and or the conditions ol work in operation in respect of the Second Division of the stall' of the (■'nveriunent Itaihvays Department (other than employees of the l.oeomotive liunninp liraneh). havillp due regard to the pulilie interest and the mainteminee of the (lovernment Railways as a business concern payinp a reasonable interest on the capital cost therenf, we. the undedrsipned have tin- honour to report as follows: Claim I (A.S.IJ.S.i: That the forty-four-hour week hitherto exist inp in the Railway service he reinstated without any reduction in the present weekly rates of pay. Claim. 1 Department): lleplllatinn Id” : The wolds "and employees in the Tndiie liraneh (oilier than nipht-w-att hm.en)” to he deleted. This means the abolition of "nipht rate” to this extent.

Workshops and Works Stall's. With one dissentient (Mr Mason) we recommend that l.oeomotive. Sipnallinp, and .Mainteminee workshops employees and Hoiks men lie •■iven the choice of two alternatives :

a A lorty-four-hour week, with overtime at rate and a half for all time worked in excess eiplit hours on each of the first live days of the week and four hours on Saturday. The hourly rates of v.-noes to remain as at present. and a pita ran tee to he pivoti of I'orty-lour hours' pay weekly. (If) A I'm ty-eipht-hnur week. with overtime at rale and a hall lor all time worked in exce-s ol eiplit hours and thre(‘(|uarters oil each ol the lirst live ilavs of the week and lour hours and a quarter on Saturday. The hiuirIv rates of wanes to is main as at presenl, and a pirni'antee in he pii'eti ol forty-eie.lit hours' iiav weekly. We i eeiimm.-ml that a secret hallo' of the iilcli eoiieerued (exi'ludillp apprentices and juniors) he taken at as early a date as possible. It is recommended that the hallo! he taken under the supervision ol the Department ol I .a hour. In these two alternatives we recommend a substantial increase in the overtime rates, and recommend the lakinn of a ballot, f- r the lulluwiiip reasons : - ■.a) The claim as formulated asks for a foriy-four-hoiir week, with lortyeipht hours’ pay. As the majority of the Hoard cannot recommend an increase in the rates ol pay, which inecessarily involved in the claim, it is thoupllt that the men eoneer'i.il nlipht to he pivoti an opportunity ol sayinp whulher I hey are still in favour of a fortv-four-hours week.

• l») A forty-tour hour week i-. jpouvrallv established in New /calami for tradesmen and their assistams, and. lliouph we ri-edpni.se the liailway conditions differ widely from those obtaining outside the service. He do mil desire, in (In- circumstances, to depart from the prim ini.-, unless lie- ue. u .Maintenance (I’ermam-nt-u ay). Me recommend that line and r- levin ; pan s wnrl: loriy-eipht hours per week at, the present late ol napes. Ilverlime at rale ami a hall to he paid I• >r all lime worked in excess ~f eiplit hours on anv day. except where, in aeeonlaie-e with the oreseul oraetiee. k-nper hour... are Herked dnrinp I Ineaiher part ol lie- week in *>rd-,-i to liui -h li.".- week’-- work : roller. M "inI : i-| line pan - to i on-’-o m■■ an I cease Work a! 1 In- sppoinl'ul linn-, and l*i he naid l-*r tiavelliop. time, at iln- • r-hinry schedule ra(e. lor lie- dis ta'ii -.-s lor n lilcli they now reieivo a lime a lle.wa me, an I to he piv-n mi • day off per immlli. I railic ami Stores Stalls. We re cumiii.-iid as follows: (a) 'I rallie sta.li - employees covered by paragraphs (h) and lei ami Store- stall to work Inriycipiit le.lll’s per Week, with oven idle rales lor all t an-- worked la ex. -ss of I’orlyepdil hours in anv week or ten hour; on any day. Overlmi- to l.e paid lor at rate and a hah. ami any time paidj lor as overtime over lh- day not to he l a k-'ii into ace mill in eoiiipulin;' mortil.u- over the week. No ni-dil lateto he payahle. -h) 'laid -t, potters to work forty eiplit and lil'ty-si.x In.ms as at presenl. with overlime p.ayment at rate and a half for all time worked in excess of there hours. .Vo nipht rates to lie payahle. (e) ( 'lOssillp k-a-p -l '. hridpe-keepers, nip;lil walehmcn, female wail iiip-ruuiii attendants, and messen-eis In work sain - l-ioir, as el present. will] overtime |>:i s'tiiel• t at rate and a half final! Dm - Hoiked in excess of these him -. No lii; 1,1 rales In he payahle. '■ laitu ,‘i < A.S.H.S.) : Thai all way i..-id Works men l.e paid travelliup lime pniiip to aml retiiriiinp from their work at week-ends. We cannot, make a r:-< nmim-ndal ion in terms of l7ie claim, hut recommend thai the following proviso l,e -added to clause 21 of the recoinineiidatioii dated the 211 nl .lime, llll’O, ol a former Hoard of Inquiry: " I’rovided also that, subject to the above restrictions, such employees shall, wherever possible, lie allowed to leave the work on l-'ridav ovoninps, if the week's work has been completed, in order lo visit their homes lor the week-end."

It is understood that the Depart men! will instruct, its res pee live fore men and leadinp hands to exercise

reason.ihle discretion in fixing tinhorn's of work, si as lo enable employees lo obtain the full benefit ol this provision. Claim s •.A.S.It.S.): That gangers and snrfaiemen in the .Maintenance Department he paid from trollv-stand to t rollv-stand.

WV recommend tlmt nil the employees in each gang he iv«|uire«l to start work at the same time at the place whore work is to lie commenced lor the day, and that they all cease work at the same lime, the starline and ceasing times being those fixed for the ordinary working day’s work: and that, in lien of a time allowance being granted, a travelling allowance at the ordinary schedule rate lie paid for the distances for which these employees now receive a time allowance: travelling time not to count for overtime. This is in accordance with an offer made by the departmental advocate. Claim It) (A.S.R.S.): That shunting gangs in large yards he composed of not less than three classified shunters. We have no recommendation to make. Claim II ('A.S.It.S.): That where there are three men or less continuously employed in shunting operations, they he classified ps shunters, and pad accordingly, i Regnlal ion 91.) We have no recommendation to make. Claim 12 (A.S.It.S.): That ltegulntiou 107 l>e amended to provide for payment of time and one-half for all time worked between ti p.m. < and <! a.m., such penal rate not l:e ■ taken into consideration when computing the guaranteed week’s pay.

Wo have no reeoinmendation in make. This matter is dealt with under the headinp of claim I, which has been treated comprehensively, so as to embrace hours, nipht rates, and overtime. Claim I.'l (A.S.H.S.): That repulation I 1:1 In- amended to provide lor payment of time and onc-lialf fur all time worked in excess of eiplit hours, between (i a.m. and (> p.m.. such penal rate not to he taken into consideration when eomputinp the euaranteed week’s pay.

We have no recommendation to make. This matter is dealt with under the headinp of claim I. which has been treated comprehensively, so as to embrace hours, nipht rates, and overtime.

Claim Id (A.S.H.S.): That tablet porters I;:.* paid lor overtime on tlu* snnu v basis as all otlirr ntrin-l.-ers of the Second Division of the liailway Service. We have no recommendation to make. This matter is dealt with under the headinp of claim I. which has keen t-rcated comprehensively, so as to embrace hours, nipht rates, and overtime. Claim 17 (A.S.H.S.): Reputation 111: That where a member is litiishiup or eoinnieneiup a shift on Sunday, such member he paid a minimum of four hours at Sunday rales for any time worked le>s lh,in four hours. Sunday time in all ea.-:-s to stand hy itself, and not to he taken into consideration wle-n eomputinp the puaranleed week's pay. We have no recommendation to make. Claim i'll (A.S.H.S.!: That hookinp lm-n off at their home station bo abolished. The departmental advocate intimated that a maximum of two lioins (inelndiiip meal-hoiir) was considered a reasonable minimum. We recommend

necordinply. Claim 21 (A.S.H.S.): That any memlie (-called on duty mi any dim- day shall la- paid a minimum of not less than four hours' work. We ale unable to make a re.-ommeii-dalioa in terms of the claim, for, with a puaranleed week’s pay it is sometimes impossible (a avoid h-iokiop a man on for a shod period in order lo make up Hie required time. We recommend. however, that (lie duly schedules shall, as far as praeticablc. lie so nrrnnped as lo avoid unduly short periods of hookinp on. Claim 2!) (A.S.H.S.): Thai menlhniiis lie delinilelv fixed as follows: Hreakfast. 7 to S a.m.: lunch, 12 lo I p.m. : tea. 7> to (i pm. : with only one buukinp-nf in any one shill. The minimum mealtime to he thirty minutes and the maximum one hour.

We recommend that employees the preater purl ion of whose hours ol dolv is 1.-.■ tween 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. shall not lie booked oil' for more than two meal intervals dorinp their shitts. and except, wliere the exipeneii-s of the servile render it ililprnet ieahle. the sc-i-oiid of such intervals shall commence not less than three hours or more than live hours after the eommem-ene-ul of the lirst. Kmployees. the preat-r portion of whose hours of doty are between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. shall not la- booked oil lor more titan one meal interval (ltirinp their respective sliilts. such interval to I - as uearlv as practicable ■■ i the middle of the shift. A meal interval shall h - not loss than half an hour or more than one hour, and if it is impracticable to pive an employee a 101 l half-Ilnur lor u local. Ills lime shall Inhooked as oeiitiiiuiiiis. Shunters on of dit shift to In- dealt with under claim -Tb

Claim .'Vi (A.S.H.S.): That ein-siiej-keei:ers' and I ridpe-lteepers hours and eoiiilit i.ms Ir- olaei-d lIP m the same basis as 1 ablet -P- e lees'. and painprnnh 2of Re.-.nlatimi If >.*» be aim-mleil ai- oi dinply. We h:m- no i eonniiiiemlal ion I - make. Claim :S < A.S.H.S. i : That -ial roils I :• al iihsln-d. Wo have i:.i r • oiiimemlali- n t - male-. Claim ( A .s-. 11 .S. I : That sawmill, bon- -fa- t.in. refii-'hmioil room, and I ;ike Wakalipo -tails he pine, 0.l mi 1 lie I >.-:! list. We ha i e no r.-.omm lal ion I" make. Tin- n-pidnr emplove- s mi I InI :d.o WakatipU '.tall a".' ahead, mi the D. II li t. claim A'.l l A S.H.S.t : Thai I In- , las-i----|t. a i imi ol ' •"tdm!"i-” bo insert oil in 111- s. |,elides 111 Ibo Cla-.siln i mn Aei. We liav- no i iinmendat mn t-» make. ,\ m."i workisio a piindinitma.binc should I- ilassiiiod ai.oidinp 111 ihe I las ; ul work he i- perlorminp. Claim ll ( A S. I! .S.) : That th - stales of l asiml hands be i ntisidei i d with a li.-il to havillp them pl.aend no the n a main-,it stall al l :-r 7, yi ill s' .- ; i ii e. We are oiiabl - le mala- a I'eeomiueiidatioo in lerm - of t! i claim. The dopart advocate slat d that. in practice. « ar.tinl I rad.-■men in I In- iinr'.- .- 1 1 * 1 1 . i. if elipil !e. :t|l- aop dole I to the )'• -:-ui:■ • i<-11 1 stall' alter three year.' casual service.

Claim 12 (AS. 11 .S.) : Thai l"inpu'imiary 1 1. oi -le is la" aliolishetl. with a view to payinp siliple men nipht lillowaitee for six weeks. :e. pt'oi idl'd lor l.y 11 epttla I ion ti. . We liav • no !veertlimend:il inn lo make. This ease i. provided fm iiinler l!epulatio!i (id.

Chiim tig (A.S.It.S. I : That ; 1 1 employe--: who are eligible to I. - lfpoinled lo the permanent -tali' be permit Led to p.iy sup- raaouat! in c old I'ihut ioli.-; into a Suspe.i-e • -mint. sii.-b looir-V |o ha • I :i ■ i - t red to ihe isiiperaiitiua l on hMini 11,011 I heir I. -ill**' appoint Oil to il.--p'-t niaueot si all'. Wo have no tv imiiooidal Jon lo make. 'I lie .-nine nhiecl can la attained oy a casual employee- pacing tinamount of his into the I’nst < Hlii i- Savings-bank, or hy paying a similar annoint to the society when paying his siili-eroptions to the society. In the event of his being .appointed to the nerni.anent .stall’ he will then have a fund available for purchasing his past service and will receive- interest in the meantime. Claim (id (A.S.R.S.): That where a departmental do.-tor certifies that any memher is incapacitated through sit klie-.- or accident, lull pay lie allowed for all time off dutv as a result of such sichm-ss or ac ciclent. Wc have no recommeudntioii to make. Claim 7ti (A.S.It.S.): That machinists l.c- c lassified and paid at Ihe same rate ns tradesmen. AVe have no recommend,ii ion to make. A special-grade machinist is classified at. the same rate of pay as a minimum-grade tradesman, though ho is not a tradesman. The work dene hy different machinist.- covers all the gradations from unskilled work to highly expert work, though its range is necessaiily limited to what can he done on machines. The Department's classification provides lor a grading of machinists, hut the grading can be carried out i lily hy persons having an intimate knowledge of the- work done by the individual machinists.

Claim 2 (Department): Regulation III): First sentence to b- deleted. Subject to this amendment. Regulations lit) and 111 tu stand, but time paid for at extra rate thereunder is not t i be taken into account for the purpose of calculating overtime on the week.

AVe recommend that the following words he prefaced to the !ir.-t sentence of Regulation lift: “Where payment of an extra rate is specially authorised on account of the nature of the work” : and that the following words he added at the end of the same sentence: “lint otherwise ordinary rates shall he paid for such time.” We do not recommend that the claim he granted as formulated. because it is recognised that some regular night-work (e.g.. work in the Lvttelton 'runnel) should carry a special rate, and lias carried that rate for many years. The deletion of the first sentence of the regulation would take away the authority at present given for such payments; but the addition of the words suggested l.y us would enable the management to authorize payment at the special rate in c ases in which it was considered to he justified. Claim (Department): Regulation 111: Time worked as part of ordinary week’s work when shift inns into Sunday (whether at the be-

ginniiip or end of the shift) not to entint as Sunday time, but to count as part of flic- week’s work. We make no recommendation in repaid to this claim as formulated, but we recommend that, time worked on Sunday as part of the ordinary week’s work, when commcncinp or linishinp a shift, he paid lor at rate and a-half instead of at double rates; time winked on Sunday by employees specially booked on duty on that day to be paid lot at double lat'-s, as at present. Claim I (Department) : Hepidalioi 127: Days mentioned in this repulation for which double rate is paid not to be added to annual leave. Day not to lie added ti annual leave il member is {liven one whole shift off duty, such shitt beinp one linishinp or hepinninp on a day mentioned in the regulations.

We recommend that any employee required to he on duty on any ol Hit holidays referred to he piven the option oi (it) beinp paid at ordinary rates for the time he is actually on duty on such holidays and havillp a day ■‘.dtlet to his annual leave, or tb) beinp paid a minimum of six hours' pay at d'liihle rates, in which ease a ilnv shall nut be added to Ii is iintinal leave. We desire to add the followinp comments in reput'd to the mailers covered by the fui'pninp recommendations:— Hours and Overtime.—We are of the opinion that a forty-eipht hours week is necessary to ensure ellieieney in the branches of the Hallway service eominp within tin- scope of oar inquiry, with the possible exception ol the workshops and works stall. Mr Mason is o; the opinion that even the exception should not ha made, and accordiuply does not subscribe to it. The Court of Arbitration lor several years past has prescribed a foriy-four-hoiir week for workers in trades in which the work is of it i i.iiitiuunusly slrenuoiis nature. more partii ttlarly the skilled trades, and a fort v-eipht-hnur week lor other workers. Outside ol the workshops and work stalls the Hallway cinphivees with whose conditions ol work we arc concerned conn.- within the lat-

ter eatepory. We are further of the opioi-m that payment of overtime rates in respect of all time oil duty in excess of eiplit hours in the day is unwarranted. fn iialustri-s where the work i - inntiniuiiis over the twenty-four Itetiis ol the da v. ami where the mil lire of the htt-sine-s necessitates the sl.ift- h *inp ol ooeqttal duration, it is eti'liititiirv lo lix a limit (usually leu luiurs) to the daily number of hours that may laworked, or to lix a span of hours (Iron’ eleven t-. fifteen) within which Hadail.v number of hours must, la- worked, nr til lix h it It a liitiil and a snail. Overtime rates are iiayahl- iinlv in respect of time worked in excess ol the number of I SO fixed as the daily limit, or outside of the span of hours dttritip which the day's work is to he periormed. 11l the ease ol tin- Tt alii.- and Stores stalls, it is nuiieei-ssai y to lix a daily span of hours, far the exisliup repulation.' are siiHioienl for the purpose; and il appeals to n.s that the lixinp of a daily limit ol ten hours i- reasonable in I'iew of the eonditioiis ol liailway work. The provision of a fnrly-eipht-lioiir week, with overtime rates for all time worked 111 exeess of ten hours 111 any day or for Inrtv-eiplit hours tit any weel.. safi-puat'ils the employee apilinst Icinp l-einp r.-qitired In work without anv overt i me-pay meiit looper than an av-.-rap • of eiplit hour.-, daily, and lends to reslriet the maximum daily hours ol work to a it li in I •i-r a pproxiaia Hop t*i that averape. It may he mentioned, in passinp. that, in many industries tln-re i- mi daily limit of hours, the provision of a weekly limit ol lortyeipht hours ineetiop all rcqiiii-fiiiciits. An exact eipht-hours day is iiinvorkalde in a transtiort seri-iee sin li a- tin* liailway servin', anil nceessarily involves a latpely inereased wapo.-bill di'pniset! as overt ime. Ii may he tak-

en a- iixioimitii that a la>r and liam,liable daily or weekly oiimher of hours of work, nseei taile d by refereiiee 10 the nature and conditions oi the part ienla r employment, and b.' rompari.'.'ii with available standards. should be paid lor al ordinary ret ol nape., and time worked ia ex* e"I that number of boors slimiM be paid I'm- at overtime rat"'. The nature and ■ oaditioiis of the otiipleviiiont in tin* ran 1 v.ilh wliieli v.o ai" ilealiiip roin!*'i 11 lair and roasimabio 11,at t li. d iv's work slimihl avorapo mplit liottrs. and uorem.i'mih 1 " and imiu m I tea lie that il 11* ill I* I I" e'.ai 11 1 et'dil I! •, 11 - . Hone" OV'l't illl" I a I e . should l e paid I'lll'. 11l I |....-f I | the I line Wol k"d ill CM ess o! 10l ly "ipol hollls weekly, uhl'di is equivalent to an averape id eiplit hours oil -i\ davs i f Ihe week. lii order that 11 ..in • daily eumb. r ol In.til’s should not unduly ex. I the averap;i.. the i i'ovision of o-'ert i ne* rate; alte'* a tmtximiini of on It nil's lias been worked on am day lot - be Ul 1 e .1)1111111.tided for I lie 'i'l .lHie at.d Stares stall's •; -i n■la Ii x with iit tain I’M cot inns that have been ' j.e: ia I - ly reletred to. We have I'ec "llimi'llded the ilis'eolllinn.iiMi. of tbe payment o! a special itiplil rale. It is not ettsl unary to pay oiertiille late; to Workers 11 1 i t .ill:- the Kailwny service for shift-work that lots lie ;• arilv to In- pellormed all roitnd tbe clock. The nape lixe.l for tlfsiworkers (ovit.s an allow aim- for tbe neicssary conditions of their emplovnteot. We have, how ever, rei omnietnled all inifease of lit" peneral overtime rate from tale and a quarter on II l-tlis. of the schedule rat -s ol inv to rale and a half on the full schedule rales of pay. This is in accordance with the Usual practice prevailin'; otii-ide the rail way service, and is a eompeo.-al imi to the no.ii I'.r the withdrawal of lb* It.phi rale.

Wap-s and Condi I ime. penerally. We have had an nppoi t unit v of i mnI irinp till- wap.-s and iondilions of the New Zealand liailway employees with tho-e ol I lie emtiloyee of tin* AieIralian liailway system, and are sali--li'il ili.it the ■ ouipal'i-.on is all in Inv.mi of New Zealand. A comparison of New Zealand Hallways napes and * on-

dilims with those obtaining in industrial in ,\ew /enluud ill uhirh similar classes of world-is are employed is also in favour of the New Zealand Railways employee. No li idy of hourly or daily workers outside- the Railway service possess! such ad vantages as payment lor free carriage of provisions to isolated stations, a liberal superannuation scheme, and above all. continuity of employment and a guaranteed week's pay each week. All these advantages arc- enjoyed by the Railway workers, many of whom also have the benefit of cheap housing, while few workers outside the service have even one of these advantages. Tln-se all have a delinile nnuiey value. Further. the actual money wages paid to Railway employees have been brought into conformity with the increased cost of living. The present minimum rale of Is. !).Jd per hour represents an increase of (i|.2 per cent, over the minimum rati* payable in I!• 11, and the value of improved conditions and other concessions granted since 101-! places the Railway worker on a hotter standard than in pre-war years. The weekly wage rates show a similar increase, for

the present weekly hours an- ill no case longer than those worked in 1014. It was contended that the rates fixed lutin' Court of Arbitration were minimum rates, ami that workers often received substantially higher rates.

whereas the classified rates of Railway employees were standard rates. This i< true, hut an examination of the classified rates discloses that they are higher than the corresoonding minimum rates of the Court of Arbitration, and are probably as high as. if not higher than, tin- general level of wages prevailing in industries governed b,v the awards ol the Court. The present building boom and tin* scarcity of tradesmen have raised carpenters' wages for the time being, at all eventin the cities, and some of the large) towns, to an unusually high-level, hut in the iron and leather trades there is much unemployment, shortened hours being worked, and wages tend markedly towards the award minima. The classified rates of the Railway Department. however, are framed without regard to boom or slump conditions prevailing outside the service, and afford a fair reward for the work performed.

For these reasons and having regard to improved conditions granted since 1911. we have found ourselves unable

to recommend the granting of an increase in the hourly rates of wages.

which is necessarily involved in chiim 1 <if the -Society.

.Air .Mason expressly dissociates himself from the recommendation of the majority of the Board in regard to the takinp of a hallot id' the workshops and works stall's on the question of the weekly hours, and a separate memorandum is annexed in which he expresses his views on this matter, and also in repaid to the recommendation of the Board under claim fil fA.S.lf.fs.t AYe have etc.. F. A'. Frazer. AA’m. Scott. • las Mason. The iron, the Minister of Railways Wellington.