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Commonwealth Railway
Employes' Claims
Before the Assistant Councillattion Com-
missioner (Mr. J. H. Portus):-
PORT AUGUSTA, Oct 26
The hearing of evidence in support
of claims by the AWU members em-<*>
ployed in the Commonwealth Railways
for penalty rates for night work was
continued.
Mr. C. R. Cameron, for the union,
said that time and a quarter was being
asked for guards, porten. operating
porters, shunters, watchmen, stationary
englned rivers, or an; member of tbe
Awu running staff calltd upon to work
between the hours of 8 p.m. and e a-nt.
Called for the onion. Harold George
Harradlne. porter, of Qnorn. laid that
be had bad IS years' experience in the
railways in various capacities. Com
paring the conditions in WJ7. when the
present award wmc made, wish toe pre
sent time, witness said that (be traffic
on both lines, owing to war conditions,
has increased eight-fold. With tbe in
creased traffic, the men were now re
quired to work tooa shifts from Qonrn
to Alice Spring!, with only -brief spell*.
The men's home life and health as a
result were affected. To Mr. Cameron,
witness stated that the men Were dis
satisfied with the present nte operating
for night work, and had now decided
to press claims lor Improvement.
William John Ellis, of Port Pirie.
train conductor, described tbe condi
tions under which the train crews were
obliged to work at present owing to the
trains being overcrowded as the result
of only one express running emen way
each week. Be also told tttt court
that It wa? usual for an extra sitting
to be held at each nreal. mjaA stated
that on almost every train Intermediate
passengers were to be found sleeping on
the floors or corridors in the cars, and
on seats in the lounge.
Witness also referred to shifts nl up
to nva hoors ? day. The crews, he
said, had to work with as little sleep
as 5% bo"rs. He was of tbe opinion
that few men Were working under worse
conditions.
Cross-examined by Mr. Allen, witness I
said that in recent years the number;
of children travelling bad increased ten- I
fold. Manv children could not go to
the dinine car for meals and thus made i
more work. i
Mr. Allen—How do they get travel
permits? I
Witness—That to what I would like
to know.
This completed the evidence. and
after addresses judgment was reserved.
$