The Courier-Mail Friday 26 November 1943 p. 3.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42032793
THE Railway Department's intention to throw open 40 different grades of work to women was revealed yesterday
when the Railways Commissioner applied to the Women's
Employment Board to fix the rates of pay for women so
employed.
Members of the board are Judge
A. W. Foster (chairman), Miss E.
Cashman, Messrs. A. Upjohn, A.
R. Wallace, and A. W. Henderson.
Need for the application arose
from the obligation imposed on the
commissioner by the manpower
directorate to release men to other
industries and to the services and
because of the impossibility of
obtaining the required number of
new employees, said Mr. J. P.
O'Malley, representing the commissioner.
Women had not yet been employed in these grades, and they
would be displaced after the war,
Mr. O'Malley added.
Grades for which the fixation
of wages was sought included
porters, conductors, packers, store-
men, telegraphists, junior clerks,
and several engineering classifications.
Unions' Attitude
Mr. T. Moroney, for the Australian Railways Union, said his
organisation was not opposing the
application in broad principles. He
appreciated the difficulties the
commissioner was having as far
as employment was concerned.
His union strongly objected to
the release of men from the railways to other industry or the ser-
vices while some running staff
men were working 80 to 90 hours
a week. The union supported
generally the employment of
women as additional labour.
The Amalgamated Engineering
Union representative (Mr. R. Leggat) agreed to the introduction
of women into the Ipswich workshops, but contended that they
should be paid men's rates.
He said that employment of
women as staymaker, metal turner,
welder, driller, lapper, and polisher,
laper, planer, miller, electrical
fitter, electrical mechanic, and
brass finisher was not a matter
for the Women's Employment
Board, but for the dilution committee.
Judge Foster: I think you can
leave the matter to us.
Mr. J. Lloyd, for the Railway
Salaried Officers' Association,
asked the board to make the
women's rate the same as the
men's. Women clerks would have
the same responsibility as men.
The Queensland Railway Traffic
Employees' Union representative
(Mr. P. A. Davis) opposed the employment of women as a means of
diverting men from the railways
to other callings, but said that if
their employment meant less work
for men his union supported the
move.
He opposed the employment of
women as the second persons in
charge of rail motors, as truck
drivers, as labourers, unless employed on light work, and as car
conductors.
Men conductors, he said, had
complained of the heaviness of
their work and had asked to be
relieved of some of their duties.
Parties To Confer
Other unions objected to the employment of women as trimmers,
lair and fibre teasers, spray
sainters, white metal workers,
welders, and cotter punching
machine operators.
On a suggestion from Judge Foster the parties agreed to confer
this morning to try to agree on
the grades.
Once an agreement was reached,
said Judge Foster, he could grant
temporary rates and the Railways
Department could employ women
immediately.
The hearing was adjourned until to-day.
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