P. AND T. EMPLOYEES

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 292, 10 December 1929, Page 8

P. AND T. EMPLOYEES

0 [ LOWER-PAID OFFICERS. BETTER SALARY CONDITIONS. FIGHTING FOE £4 A WEEK. Present service conditions and grievances were discussed at a largelyattended meeting of Auckland officers of the Post and Telegraph last evening. Mr. J. H. McKenzie, general secretary of the P. and T. Employees' Association, addressed the meeting, and made particular reference to the organisation's efforts to obtain improved salary conditions for the lower-paid officers of the service. The Department's policy of employing telegraph messenger boys indelinitely at a fixed salary of £57 per annum was criticised. The association was pressing for increases for the boys; but : without result. Mr. McKenzie stated that the Government was taking advantage of the economic conditions existing ' outside the service to employ boys and • youths at such an unjust wage. The salary paid to other junior officers < was also referred to at length. A num- i ber of officers between the ages of 21 , and 24 years were being paid salaries '. ranging from £96 to £122 per annum. ] This, Mr. McKenzie said, was a grave ] injustice and the association was strenu- . ously fighting for a minimum wage of ( approximately £4 per week upon attain- \ ing the age of 21 years. Is it a "Sop"? 1 The maximum salaries of the "rank and file" of the service were considered to be much below reasonable remuneration for the value of the services ren- f dered to the Department, and increases , in both the clerical and general divisions , were being asked for. . t Mr. McKenzie stressed the necessity j of united action by the service in order to obtain recognition of the claims being r made. He was not afraid of criticism, • as he was convinced that the associa- l tion's cause was a just one. The associa- < tion had been formed for the mutual ' benefit of its membership and the officials * of the organisation were doing what c they could to obtain such results. " The recent publication of the service t classification list had revealed the in- i stitution of a special class for certain I qualified officers. This had caused a good i deal of criticism. Mr. McKenzie's explanation of that was that it was un- j doubtedly a "sop" to alienate support of ; the association's demands for general ; reclassification. The association, he said, was in no way responsible for that j particular class. a At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. j McKenzie. was thanked for his address | and his lucid explanation of the many r questions. ' 'f