Hutt Railway Workshops: A Work Community: A Study of Attitudes of Workpeople Towards Various Conditions Involved in Employment in the Above Workshops

Abstract

The Railways Department is the major transport operating organisation in New Zealand. As such, it makes an important contribution towards the general well-being and economy of the country. It is important that each part of the Department should be able to carry out effectively and in a harmonious manner all functions reasonably expected of it. This is all the more important if any one particular part occupies a key position within the Railways organisation. The Hutt Workshops is a key part of the Department. It has the plant, equipment and machinery for carrying out locomotive construction and overhaul and other important tasks. In order to carry out effectively all tasks expected of it, the Hutt Workshops requires many employees. In 1939, it had a total of nearly 2,300 employees; by 1952, this number had declined to just over 1,200. At the latter date, there were over 600 immediate unfilled vacancies in the Workshops. There had, thus, been a major reduction in its labour force during the 13-year period. Moreover, there remained such a substantial labour shortage that all demands on the Workshops could not be met.