1917 Conciliation Scheme
209
To come directly to its provisions as applicable to enginemen, firemen, cleaners, and electric trainmen, it provided for national proposals affecting wages and hours of labour to be submitted to the companies by the E.C. of the A.S.L.E. & F., through the General Secretary. In the event of the reply not being satisfactory, representatives were appointed to meet the representatives of the Railway Companies to negotiate. The procedure in summary was as follows:—
1.—There shall be established on each railway a Delegation Board to deal with rates of wages, hours of labour, or conditions of service, including matters of discipline and management. (A distinct advance on the 1911 Scheme.)2.—In regard to other than national settlements, the Delegation Board shall be the medium, and all cases must be forwarded in writing.3.—If the employees wish to bring before the notice of the company a matter affecting the contractual relations between the company and their employees, a Delegation Board Conference shall be held. If the majority of delegates at the Conference approve of the matter, it shall be sent to the company's officials by the Secretary of the Delegation Board, with a request to receive a deputation within fourteen days, and it may next be referred to the Board of Directors, and if satisfaction is not reached, it is referred to the Executive Committee.4.—Matters not requiring a National Agreement, and not being detrimental to, or interpretations of, the National Agreements, may in the first place be dealt with by the Delegate Board, and if satisfaction is not reached, may be referred to the Executive Committee.
Matters such as discipline and management, including punishment, may be dealt with by the Delegation Board, or employees may avail themselves of the provisions of Clause 72, as agreed upon by the Railway Companies in 1916, as follows:—
