ADVANTAGES REGAINED

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 250, 22 November 1929, Page 8

ADVANTAGES REGAINED

Per Press Association.

RAILW AYMEN 'S CONDITIONS. SEOOND DIYISION OONCESSIONS.

WELLINGTON, Last night. The railwav strike of 1924 is called to mind by important concessions just made by the Minister of Railways to the exeeutive of the Amalgamated Society of Railwav Servants on behalf of a number of the second division of the service. When this organisation called out its members on the wages dispute, the men were forced to return on conditions imposed by the then Minister of Railways (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates), who while agreeing readily that there would be no victimisation and that superannuation rights were maintained took up the position that the existing agreements regarding working conditions were in the melting pot-. As a consequence of the fresh arrangements the strikers lost several advantages in their working conditions, and for five years liave been endeavouring to restore their former position. Now they have succeeded in getting back the eight hour day in place of the ten hour shift with overtime at rate and a-half. The new arrangements. which operate from April 1 next, will enable overtime at rate and a quarter to he paid for work in exc-ess of eight hours in any shift. Tlie second concessioD recently arranged is that on five statutory holidays during the year, when traffic and operating staffs are working at high pressure, they are to he paid double time and have a day nd ed to their annual leave, which is nsually taken in an off-season of the year. This also operates from ;the end of the financial j'ear.