Western Australia

THE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS ACT 1904

Regulations for Organising, Classifying and Paying Heads of Branches

These regulations were repealed by the Public Transport Authority Regulations 2003 r. 47 as at 1 Jul 2003 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 27 Jun 2003 p. 2493).

Western Australia

Regulations for Organising, Classifying and Paying Heads of Branches

Contents

1.Hours of Duty1

2.Leave of Absence1

3.Absence without pay2

4.Long Service Leave2

5.Sick Leave3

6.Travelling and Away from Home Allowances5

7.District Allowance6

8.Free Passes and Privilege Tickets7

9.Privilege Season Tickets9

10.Resignations and Retirements9

11.Promotions10

12.Acting in Higher Capacities10

13.Rates of Salaries10

Notes

Compilation table14

Western Australia

THE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS ACT 1904

Regulations for Organising, Classifying and Paying Heads of Branches

In pursuance of the powers conferred by “The Government Railways Act 1904,” the Commissioner of Railways for the State of Western Australia hereby makes the following Regulations for organising, classifying, and paying the Heads of Branches and Subheads of the Government Railways who are exempt from the provisions of “The Railways Classification Board Act 1920,” operating from the twenty‑eighth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and twenty‑five, and repealing all previous Regulations conflicting herewith: — 

1.Hours of Duty

The hours of duty shall be as required from time to time.

2.Leave of Absence

(a)After twelve months’ continuous service all officers shall be entitled to annual paid leave of twelve days and public holidays, or days in lieu thereof, up to a maximum of eight days in any one year. Twelve days extra annual leave shall be granted to the Officer‑in‑Charge, Port Hedland‑Marble Bar railway.

(b)Leave of absence shall be calculated to the close of each financial year, and shall be paid for at the salary the officer is in receipt of at the time such annual leave is taken.

(c)The leave shall be applied for and taken out at a time convenient to the Department before the thirtieth June following the year for which it fell due; at the expiration of that time the leave shall lapse unless such leave shall have been deferred by the Department or the permission of the Commissioner obtained for its accumulation.

(d)In urgent cases leave in addition to the foregoing may be granted, without pay, for a period not exceeding six months. Any public holidays falling due during the period in which an officer is on leave without pay shall not be paid for.

(e)Subject to the proviso hereto any officer who may resign or be dismissed from the service shall be entitled to receive payment for any holidays pro rata up to the time of leaving the service: Provided, that if an officer be dismissed for being under the influence of liquor, or for drunkenness, he shall be entitled to be paid only for such leave (if any) as was due up to the thirtieth June previous, and if dismissed for peculation or other serious irregularity he shall not be entitled to payment for any holidays.

(f)The next of kin of a deceased officer shall be granted payment of pro rata annual leave to the date of the decease of the officer.

3.Absence without pay

Any term in excess of three months an officer is absent from duty from any cause without pay shall not for any purpose be included as part of such officer’s period of service.

4.Long Service Leave

(a)The Commissioner shall grant to any officer who has continued on the salaried staff for ten years long service leave for three calendar months on full pay or six calendar months on half‑pay. For the subsequent period of ten years the same conditions shall apply, and thereafter for every seven years similar leave shall be granted.

(b)Service prior to attaining the age of eighteen years shall not count in computing long service leave.

(c)Any public holidays occurring during the period in which an officer is on long service leave will be calculated as portion of the long service leave and extra days in lieu thereof shall not be granted.

(d)If a deceased officer leaves a widow, dependent children, mother, or invalid sister, payment pro rata of long service leave up to the date of such officer’s death shall be granted to such dependent or dependents.

(e)Any officer who resigns or is retired from the service, except as provided for in subclause (f), shall be paid for long service leave due at the time of resignation or retirement.

(f)Any officer who retires or is retired upon reaching the retiring age, or through ill‑health, shall be paid for long service leave pro rata to date of retirement.

(g)Any officer dismissed from the service shall not be entitled to payment for long service leave.

5.Sick Leave

(a)Any officer who is incapacitated for duty in consequence of illness or injury shall, as soon as possible, advise his superior officer in sufficient time to admit of arrangements being made for the performance of his duties. Any such officer who fails to do so shall be treated as absent without leave.

(b)Any officer so incapacitated for duty shall also notify his superior officer in sufficient time of the date on which he will be able to resume duty to enable any necessary arrangements to be made.

(c)Should the absence be prolonged beyond one day the officer shall forward to his superior officer on the second day thereof a certificate from any legally qualified medical practitioner showing the nature of the illness and probable duration.

(d)Any officer who finds that he is unable to resume duty on the expiration of the period shown in the first certificate shall thereupon furnish a further certificate, and shall continue to do so upon the expiration of the periods respectively covered by such certificates: Provided, however, that the maximum period between the dates of furnishing any two medical certificates shall be fourteen days.

(e)In cases where incapacity for duty is obvious, the Commissioner may relieve the officer of the necessity of providing medical certificate.

(f)Any officer shall, if so directed, present himself for examination by a medical officer at such time and place as may be fixed.

(g)Any officer who has been absent for three days (not continuous) in one financial year shall, if instructed by his superior officer, furnish a medical certificate for absences of one day only.

(h)Officers who have conformed to the foregoing may be granted sick leave (exclusive of annual and long service leave) for three months on full pay and three months on half pay.

(i)Such leave may be granted in one or more periods, but the aggregate amount of leave on pay provided for must not be exceeded.

(j)In no case shall an officer be granted more than three months on full pay and three months on half pay in any one triennial period, unless otherwise determined by the Commissioner. The triennial period to be the three years preceding the date of illness for which payment is claimed.

(k)No payment will be made for any absence due to an officer’s own fault, neglect, or misconduct.

(l)Indisposition not necessitating confinement to the house will not be regarded as illness in respect of which leave of absence will be granted under this section, excepting under special circumstances to be approved by the Commissioner.

6.Travelling and Away from Home Allowances

(a)Allowances to meet the travelling expenses of officers will be paid as under: — 

Officers in receipt of £500 per annum and over —17s. 6d. per day.

Officers in receipt of less than £500 per annum —15s per day.

Daily expenses after ten days’ residence at the same place to be reduced by twenty‑five per cent.

(b)Where an officer, away from his headquarters, is stationed at one place for a continuous period of four weeks or more, in lieu of the above scale he shall be paid [pound]3 per week from the first day of taking up duty at such place.

(c)The daily rate shall represent in equal portions the expenses for three meals and a bed. For the purpose of computing expenses, in the case of arrival at home station, breakfast shall be allowed for if arrival is later than 8 a.m., lunch if later than 1 p.m., tea if later than 6 p.m., and bed if later than 11 p.m.

(d)When an officer is absent from home station for less than a full day and night, reasonable actual expenses, with a maximum of 2s. per meal in suburban areas and 2s. 6d. per meal outside suburban areas, will be allowed.

(e)When a sleeping berth is provided, the bed allowance will not apply, except when a bed has been paid for elsewhere for a portion of the night.

(f)Incidental expenses, such as cab fares and cartage of personal luggage, will be allowed provided the time away from home station is sufficient to warrant such expenditure.

(g)In cases where an officer is engaged at other than his home station in receipt of weekly rate of allowance and is temporarily away from such station, the daily allowance will be paid in lieu of the weekly rate for the period of such temporary absence for one day or over; if the absence is less than one day, reasonable actual expenses will be paid.

(h)Where an officer is relieving on expenses for a period of less than twenty‑eight days he shall not receive greater payment for relieving expenses than he would have received if he had been relieving for twenty‑eight days.

(i)An additional allowance of twenty per cent. (20 per cent.) shall be granted an officer stationed outside the areas defined in Clause 7, Subclauses (a) and (b), when travelling within such area.

(j)Where officers travel by steamer on which the fare paid includes sustenance, an allowance of fifteen per cent. (15 per cent.) of the passage money shall be paid in lieu of the ordinary travelling allowance.

(k)Officers travelling on duty to the Eastern States via the Trans‑Australian Railway will be paid such allowance from time of leaving Kalgoorlie until return thereto as the Commissioner may determine.

(l)Any unmarried officer who is required to undertake duties away from his headquarters, and who remains at one foreign station for a period exceeding twenty‑eight days, will not be granted away from home allowance, but will be paid any reasonable expenses incurred in travelling to and from his headquarters.

(m)Subclauses (b), (h), and (l) will not apply until an officer has received information that his stay at one place will be of such duration as to bring him under the provisions of these subclauses.

(n)In special cases the above scale may be increased by the Commissioner.

7.District Allowance

(a)Officers stationed at Merredin or Eastward or Northward thereof on the Eastern Goldfields Line as far as Goongarrie (inclusive), or at Mullewa or Eastward or Northward thereof, on the Murchison Goldfields Line, as far as Mount Magnet (inclusive), or on the Hopetoun‑Ravensthorpe Railway, shall be paid district allowances as under: — 

Married officers — £45 per annum.

Single officers — £25 per annum.

(b)Officers stationed on the Eastern Goldfields Line Eastward or Northward of Goongarrie, or on the Murchison Goldfields Line Eastward or Northward of Mount Magnet, shall be paid district allowances as under: — 

Married officers — £60 per annum.

Single officers — £30 per annum.

(c)The Officer‑in‑Charge, Port Hedland‑Marble Bar Railway, shall be paid a district allowance of £150 per annum.

(d)When an officer stationed in a district carrying an allowance is on long service leave, no allowance will be paid unless the officer or his family remain in such district.

(e)An officer brought away temporarily for relief purposes from a district carrying an allowance shall be paid the allowance, provided such officer’s family remains in such district.

(f)District allowances shall not apply when an officer is absent without pay, and in the case of an officer leaving the service for any cause and due for payment in lieu of holidays, allowance shall not be paid for the period of such holidays.

8.Free Passes and Privilege Tickets

(a)After twelve months’ continuous service an officer shall be allowed three first‑class passes per annum as under: — 

One station to station pass on the occasion of the annual or long service leave to cover the full term of leave due.

Two privilege passes from one given station to another and return.

In addition to the officer, the passes shall be available for his wife and members of his family under eighteen years of age unmarried, unmarried daughters over eighteen years of age, and the mother of an officer, provided they are resident with and dependent upon him for support.

A widower with his child or children resident with him and who regularly employees a housekeeper may, at the discretion of the Commissioner, be granted passes for such housekeeper; in like manner an unmarried officer supporting younger brothers and/or sisters may be granted passes for such housekeeper.

(b)Upon request an officer may be granted a separate station to station pass for his wife and dependents, as mentioned in Subclause (a) hereof, where it is inconvenient for both to travel at the same time.

(c)After six months’ continuous service an officer shall be entitled to the passes mentioned in Subclause (a) in proportion to length of service; should any officer through illness be unable to use his station to station pass on the occasion of his annual leave, he shall be entitled to the use of such pass on the occasion of taking leave without pay during the year in which same is due.

(d)An officer who resigns or is retired from the service and has leave due shall be granted a free pass, station to station, for the term of such holidays.

(e)Free passes shall not apply to Race Specials, Guaranteed Specials, or Special Excursion Trains within fifty miles radius, or when in the opinion of the station‑master at the station where the officer desires to commence his journey there is not ample room on the train.

(f)Privilege tickets: After six months’ continuous service an officer shall be allowed privilege return tickets for himself, wife, and members of his family under eighteen years of age, also unmarried daughters over eighteen years of age, provided they are resident with and dependent upon the officer’s earnings. The charge for privilege tickets to be half the single fare for the return journey, with a minimum of 1s. for adults and 6d. for children.

(g)For the purpose of this clause a member of the family shall be deemed to be dependent provided such member’s income does not exceed fifteen shillings per week, exclusive of old age or invalid pension, but a member of the family temporarily out of employment shall not be deemed to be dependent.

9.Privilege Season Tickets

(a)First‑class season tickets at one‑half the ordinary season ticket rates will, on application and on production of the Departmental certificate, be issued to an officer to enable him to travel between his place of occupation and the station nearest to his place of residence.

(b)These season tickets shall be available only whilst the holder is in the employ of the Department.

(c)Should the holder resign or change his place of residence a refund of the unexpired value of the ticket will be made if handed in at the time.

10.Resignations and Retirements

(a)No officer shall leave the Department until the expiration of one month’s written notice of his intention so to do without the approval of the Commissioner.

(b)One calendar month’s notice shall be given by the Commissioner to any such officer whose services are no longer required, provided that this subclause shall not apply to cases of summary dismissal for misconduct, or to officers for whom the Commissioner is unable to find work, or whom he may deem it unnecessary to employ by reason of any action on the part of any of his employees, or for any cause beyond his control.

11.Promotions

(a)Promotion or appointment to any position governed by these Regulations will be by selection. The decision of the Commissioner in all cases shall be final.

(b)When considered necessary, a person from outside the service may be appointed to any position in the service, provided there is not an officer in the service capable of filling the position.

(c)No officer shall refuse compliance with any order directing his transfer from one position to another.

(d)Promotion from one position to another may be made provisionally for a limited period with a view to testing the suitability of any officer for such appointment. If at the end of the period so fixed the officer is not retained in the appointment, he shall be provided for at the same salary as he was in receipt of prior to the provisional appointment.

12.Acting in Higher Capacities

When an officer performs the duties of a position higher than that in which he is classified for a term exceeding one lunar month (continuous or broken) within any one financial year, he shall be paid from the end of that month while performing any such duties at the minimum salary attached to such higher position.

13.Rates of Salaries

(a)Officers to whom these Regulations apply shall be classified into seven classes, viz: — 

Range of salary

	£	£	£
First class …………………	850	900	1,000
Second class ………………	700	750	800
Third class ………………...	600	640	675
Fourth class ……………….	500	540	575
Fifth class …………………	500	520	540
Sixth class …………………	435	455	475
Seventh class ………………	385	400	415

(b)Officers appointed to the positions set forth hereafter shall be paid a salary not less than the minimum salary for such position.

(c)Advancement from minimum to maximum shall be by yearly increment, subject to good conduct, zeal, and efficiency in the discharge of the allotted duties.

Position	Head‑ quarters	Class
Chief Traffic Manager ………………	Perth	1st
Chief Engineer, Way and Works ……	Perth	1st
Chief Mechanical Engineer …………	Mid. Junction	1st
Secretary for Railways and Assistant to the Commissioner ……………………	Perth	1st
Comptroller of Accounts and Audit ….	Perth	2nd
Comptroller of Stores …………………	Mid. Junction	2nd

Sub‑Heads.

Position	Branch	Head‑ quarters	Class
Superintendent of Loco. Running …….	Traffic	Perth	3rd
Assistant Chief Engineer and District Engineer, Metropolitan District ………	Way and Works	do.	3rd
Assistant Secretary for Railways ……..			3rd
Commercial Agent, Secretary’s Branch			3rd
Electrical and Signal Engineer ……….	Traffic	Perth	3rd
Workshops Manager ………………….	Mechanical	Mid. Junction	3rd
Chief Clerk, Traffic Branch, and District Traffic Superintendent, Metropolitan District …………………………………			4th
District Traffic Superintendents —  Central District ………………….	Traffic	Northam	4th
Eastern District ……………………..	do.	Merredin	4th
Southern District …………………..	do.	Narrogin	4th
South‑Western District ……………	do.	Bunbury	4th
District Loco. Superintendent, Metropolitan District ………………….	Traffic and Mechanical	Perth	4th
Assistant Engineer and Chief Draftsman	Way and Works	do.	4th
Inspecting Engineer …………………..	do.	do.	4th
District Engineers —  Central District …………………….	Way and Works	Northam	4th
Southern District ………………….	do.	Narrogin	4th
South‑Western District …………..	do.	Bunbury	4th
Industrial Agent ……………………….	Secretary’s	Perth	4th
Auditor of Disbursements ……………..	Accounts	do.	4th
District Traffic Superintendents —  Northern District ……………….	Traffic	Geraldton	5th
Eastern Goldfields District …………	do.	Kalgoorlie	5th
Special Officer …………………………	do.	Perth	5th
District Loco. Superintendents —  Central District …………………..	Traffic and Mechanical	Northam	5th
Southern District …………………..	do.	Narrogin	5th
South‑Western Districts ……………...	do.	Bunbury	5th
District Engineers —  Northern District …………………...	Way and Works	Geraldton	5th
Eastern Goldfields District ………	do.	Kalgoorlie	5th
Mill Manager …………………………	Stores	Dwellingup	5th
Chief Clerk ……………………………	Traffic	do.	5th
Do ………………………………….	Mechanical	Mid. Junction	5th
Do ………………………………….	Way and Works	Perth	5th
Do ………………………………...	Stores	Mid. Junction	5th
Chief Draftsman ……………………..	Mechanical	Mid. Junction	5th
Chief Boiler Inspector ………………...	do.	do.	5th
Claims Agent ………………………….	Traffic	Perth	6th
District Loco. Superintendents —  Northern District …………………..	Traffic and Mechanical	Geraldton	6th
Eastern Goldfields District ………..	do.	Kalgoorlie	6th
Mechanical Inspector …………………	Mechanical	Mid. Junction	6th
Chemist ……………………………….	do.	do.	6th
Officer‑in‑Charge —  Asset’s Section ……………………	Secretary’s	Perth	6th
Finance Section ……………………	do.	do.	6th
Staff Section ……………………….	do.	do.	6th
Commercial, Freights and Fares Section	do.	do.	6th
Chief Audit Clerk …………………….	Accounts	do.	6th
Chief Staff Clerk ……………………….	do.	do.	6th
Chief Book‑keeper …………………..	do.	do.	6th
Paymaster and Receiver ………………	do.	do.	6th
Chief Statistical Clerk ………………..	do.	do.	6th
Stores Foreman and Inspector ………..	Stores	Mid. Junction	7th
Relief Officer …………………………	do.	do.	7th

[Regulation 14 inserted by Gazette 16 August 1929 p.1855; amended by Gazettes 20 August 1937 p1398; 17 January 1941 p.74.]

Notes

1.This is a compilation of the Regulations for Organising, Classifying and Paying Heads of Branches and includes the amendments referred to in the following Table.

Compilation table

Citation	Gazettal	Commencement
Regulations for Organising, Classifying and Paying Heads of Branches	24 Dec 1925 pp.3130‑4	24 Dec 1925
	16 Aug 1929 p.1855	1 Aug 1929
	20 Aug 1937 p.1398	1 Sep 1937
	17 Jan 1941 p.74	1 Nov 1940
These regulations were repealed by the Public Transport Authority Regulations 2003 r. 47 as at 1 Jul 2003 (see s. 2(1) and Gazette 27 Jun 2003 p. 2493)