D.—2b

8

Claim 39 (A.S.R.S.) : That the classification of " grinder " be inserted in the schedules of the Classification Act. We have no recommendation to make. A man working a grinding-inachine should be classified according to the class of work he is performing. Claim 41 (A.S.R.S.): That the status of casual hands be considered with a view to having them placed on the permanent staff ofter five years' service. We arc unable to make a recommendation in terms of this claim. The departmental advocate stated that, in practice, casual tradesmen in the workshops, if eligible, are appointed, to the permanent staff after three years' casual service. Clatm 42 (A.S.R.S.) : Thai temporary transfers be abolished, with a view to paying single men night allowance for six weeks, as provided, for by Regulation 67. We have no recommendation to make. This case is provided for under Regulation 69. Claim 62 (A.S.R.S.) : That all employees who are eligible to be appointed to the permanent staff be permitted to pay superannuation, contributions into a Suspense Account, such money to be transferred to the Superannuation Fund upon their being appointed to the permanent staff. We have no recommendation to make. The same object can be attained by a casual employee paying the amount of his contributions into the Post Office Savings-bank, or by paying a similar amount to the Society when paying his subscriptions to the Society. In the event of his being appointed to the permanent staff he will then have a fund available for purchasing his past service, and will receive interest in the meantime. Claim 69 (A.S.R.S.) : That, where a departmental doctor certifies that any member is incapacitated through sickness or accident, full pay be allowed for all lime off duly as a result, of such sickness or accident. We have no recommendation to make. Claim 73 (A.S.R.S.) : That machinists be classified and paid at the same rale as tradesmen. We have no recommendation to make. A special-grade machinist is classified at the same rate of pay as a minimum-grade tradesman, though he is not a tradesman. The work done by different machinists covers all the gradations from unskilled work to hightly expert work, though its range is necessarily limited to what can be done on machines. The Department's classification provides for a grading of machinists, but the grading can be carried, out only by persons having an intimate knowledge of the work done by the individual machinists. Claim 2 (Department) : Regulation 110 : First sentence to be deleted,. Subject to this amendment, Regulations 110 and 111 to stand, but time paid for at, extra rate thereunder is not to be taken into account for the purpose of calculating overtime on the week. We recommend that the following words be prefaced to the first sentence of Regulation 110 : " Where payment of an extra rate is specially authorized on account of the nature of the work " ; and that the following words be added at the end of the same sentence : " but otherwise ordinary rates shall be paid for such time." We do not recommend that the claim be granted as formulated, because it is recognized that some regular night - work (e.g., work in the Lyttelton Tunnel) should carry a special rate, and has 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 by us would enable the management to authorize payment at the special rate in, cases in which it was considered to be justified. Claim 3 (Department) : Regulation, 114: Time worked as part of ordinary week's work, when shift runs into Sunday (whether at the beginning or end of the shift) not to count as Sunday time, but to count as part of the week's work. We make no recommendation in regard to this claim as formulated, but we recommend that time worked on Sunday as part of the ordinary week's work, when commencing or finishing a shift, be paid for at rate and a half instead of at double rates ; time worked on Sunday by employees specially booked on duty on that day to be paid for at double rates, as at present. Claim 4 (Department) : Regulation 125: Days mentioned in, this regulation for which double rate, is paid not to be added, to annual leave. Day not to be added, to annual leave if member is given one whole shift off duty, such shift being one finishing or beginning on a day mentioned in the regulations. We recommend that any employee required to be on duty on any of the holidays referred to be given the option of (a) being paid at ordinary rates for the time he is actually on duty on such holiday and. having a day added to his annual leave, or (b) being paid a. minimum of six hours' pay at double rates, in which case a day shall not be added to his annual leave. We desire to add the following comments in regard to the matters covered by the foregoing recom mendations: — Hours and Overtime. —We arc of the opinion that a forty-eight-hours week is necessary to ensure fficiency in the branches of the Railway service coming within the scope of our inquiry, with the