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 without prejudice to those men who already have a longer holiday under their existing conditions of service.

(7) .—The negotiating committees of the two unions will be recognised as the medium for dealing with all questions affecting rates of pay and conditions of service while the present negotiations are proceeding. A committee shall be appointed to consider and report:—

1. As to the continuance or discontinuance of the Conciliation Boards, consisting of representatives of the Railway Executive Committee and the two unions, to deal with any questions that arise in regard to rates of pay and conditions of service of the men within the conciliation grades, as from the day when these negotiations are concluded and the time until some final arrangement is arrived at in regard to the future position of railways.

2. As to the continuance or discontinuance of the existing Conciliation Boards. When the new Ministry of Ways and Communications is set up, it is the intention of the Government to provide an organisation for and to avail itself fully of the advantages of assistance, co-operation and advice from, the workers in the transportation industry.

(8) The present wages to be stabilised until December 31st, 1819, and any reduction of the War Wages under the agreement of November, 1918, to he waived.

With regard to standardisation of rates of pay and the removal of present anomalies, this can be dealt with only in connection with a revision of permanent wages, and, therefore, it is proposed that the present negotiations shall be continued for fixing new standard rates, so as to insure that all men throughout the country shall receive the same payment for the same work under the same conditions.

This will involve a transfer of a part of the War Wages to the Permanent Wage, but the Government agrees that up to December 31st, 1919, no man shall receive less in weekly rate of wage, plus war wage, then he is receiving at present, while anyone to whom the new war wage and new rate yields more than they are receiving at present shall receive the advantage as soon as an arrangement is arrived at.

At the end of the year the whole situation will be reviewed. The war wage will have to be looked at in the light of the circumstances of the time generally, and it will be open to the men to ask for a revision of the new standard rates if they think a case can be made for it, but the anomalies of varying pay for similar work under similar conditions will