27

D.—4

For all time worked in excess of forty-four hours and not more than forty-eight hours in any week, at the member's classified rate of pay: Provided that if such time is worked between the hours of .10 p.m. and 6 a.m. payment for such time shall be made at one-and-a-quarter times the member's ordinary rate of pay. For all time worked in excess of forty-eight hours and not more than sixty hours in any week, at one-and-a-quarter times the member's ordinary rate of pay. For all time worked in excess of sixty hours in any week, at one-and-a-half times the member's ordinary rate of pay. In the Locomotive, Maintenance, and Signal Branch workshops rate and a half is paid for all time worked in excess of the daily hours. In the Traffic and Stores Branches overtime is paid for on the following basis : — Tablet-porters at stations where duties are intermittent: Rate and a half after fifty-six hours per week. Crossing-keepers and bridge-keepers at stations where the duties are intermittent : Rate and a half after sixty hours per week. Tablet-porters, crossing-keepers and bridge-keepers (other than those mentioned above) night-watchmen, female waiting-room attendants, messengers : Rate and a half after forty-eight hours per week. Guards, shunters, signalmen, storemen, porters (other than tablet-porters), crane-drivers, and horse-drivers : Rate and a quarter after eight hours per day, and rate and a quarter plus one quarter for overtime worked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. (Reg. 113.) Night rate, computed at rate and a quarter of the daily rate of pay, is paid to members of the Locomotive Running Branch and to guards, porters, shunters, signalmen, storemen, crane-drivers, and horse-drivers for work performed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., applying in all cases, irrespective of whether the employee is commencing a fresh shift or completing a shift, and, where time in excess of the weekly or daily hours is worked in either such cases, overtime as affecting the period worked between 10 p.m. and. 6 a.m. is computed at rate and a quarter on rate and a quarter. Engine-cleaners, whose work is necessarily performed at night-time, in all cases are paid at rate and a quarter of the schedule rate (involving an expenditure of £4,500 per annum, which is included in the total cost of overtime). Your Commission is of opinion that this payment is not justified, and should be abolished. In the Maintenance and Signals Branches the overtime rate of pay and a half is made for all time worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The amount paid in respect of overtime in all branches, including special payment in respect of shifts between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is £106,694. For duty on Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday, Sovereign's Birthday, Anzac Day, and Labour Day, which involves the payment of double the ordinary rate of pay to members of Division 11, an expenditure of £20,000 is incurred, and, in addition, one day is added to the annual leave of those employees who work on all or any one of the days specified, except Sundays. With the exception of emergency casuals, all members are guaranteed a minimum amount of pay which is equivalent to what their earnings would be provided they worked the full week at the ordinary schedule rate of pay. Payment for Sunday time is not taken into account in connection with the guarantee. We find that as a result of the misconception or the misapplication of this arrangement unnecessary expense had been incurred by finding work for men whose earnings had reached the minimum of one week's pay. The General Manager has had this matter adjusted. Standing-time. —Division II : In any case where any member of Division II is booked on duty and duly reports he is paid a minimum of four hours. Traffic : At home stations if employees are booked off for less than eight hours they are paid for two hours at ordinary rates. Guards absent from headquarters and booked off between shifts are paid for three hours in cases where booking-off is less than eight hours ; if booked off during a shift, paid for four hours. Locomotive : — At home station—■ Booked off for less than ten hours through train running late : Three hours. Booked off for less than ten hours on duty sheet: Time worked immediately before and after break in shift counted as continuous.