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CHAPTER X,
works staff. It is prescribed that in every calendar month these railway
servants shall enjoy one period of rest of not less than 48 consecutive
hours or two periods of 24 hours each. Apart from these, all continuous
workers, with the exception meantime of the running staff, will enjoy
a rest period of 24 consecutive hours per week. Essentially intermittent
workers and supervisory staff are not given a weekly rest under the rules,
although a number are said to enjoy it. We recommend that the weekly
rest of not less than 24 hours provided under the Act of 1930, subject to
the usual emergency exceptions, should be granted to all continuous
workers as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.

An attempt has been made to forecast the position when the
employees of all railways, including running staff, come under the statu-
tory limitations. We have been supplied by the Railway Board with a
statement covering all employees, including those coming within the
scope of the Factories and Mines Acts, who, as above indicated, are not
covered by these rules. The percentages are based on an analysis of the
figures of four of the state-managed railways on which arrangements for
the application of the regulation to all excepting running staff are well
advanced. The forecast of approximate percentages of employees,
including running staff, when the Hours of Employment Rules have been
fully applied is as follows :—

Employees excluded as supervisory .. i

Employees excluded on account of light character of work

Other employees classified as in work of essentially inter.
mittent character with maximum of 84 hours per week ..

Classified as engaged in continuous work up to a maximum
of 60 hours per week other than factory and mine work.
ers
Factory and mine workers .. in ve

AR
78
29
100
There is little difference between railways as regards the percentages of
employees classified under the first two categories, but the percentages
of essentially intermittent staff varies considerably owing to variations in
traffic density and other factors, There are differences of opinion as to
the employment that should be scheduled as © essentially intermittent
and statutory provision is made for the appointment of supervisors of
railway labour whose inspection of actual working conditions under the
new regulations should help towards improved classification of the differ
ent kinds of work under this head. As shown above, the great bulk of
railway servants are classified as continuous workers, Excluding those
who come within the scope of the Factories and Mines Acts, figures sup-
plied indicate that, when the new rules have been fully applied, 12%, of the
continuous workers will be employed not more than 48 hours, 43%, not
more than 54 hours and 45%, not more than 60 hours per week. Including
factory and mine workers, it is estimated that the numbers of the con.
tinuous workers employed for not more than 48. 54 and 60 hours

respectively, will be about equal.