SALARY INCREASES

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 127, 24 February 1944, Page 3

SALARY INCREASES

Post And Telegraph Department

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

‘‘An article has appeared in the Press to the effect that in lhe Post and Telegraph Department, while the salary-value of a number of the higher graded positions in the first (clerical) division was being appreciably increased, nothing was being doue for the men in the second (general) division," said the deputy direc-tor-general of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr. J. Madden, in a statement issued yesterday. “The position is that, the higher graded appointments to which reference has been made are iu the main the outcome of a change in the departmental retirement policy. Till recently officers with 40 years’ service were being retained in the department compulsorily. In December last, the Government, at the request of the Employees’ Service Organization, agreed to allow officers to retire at the end of 40 years’ service, if they so desired. This modification of the retirement policy has increased the number of recent promotions and these have been more noticeable in the higher grades. “In the initial movement under the new retirement plan there were over 50 vacancies to be filled, aud many of these were in the higher grades of classification.

"It has, of course, been necessary for the department to fill not only the actual vacancy created by -a specific retirement but also the many consequential vacancies which naturally ensue. "The statement made in the Press report to the effect that promotion notices issued since December 0, affect 246 officers in certain specified classes of the first (clerical) division is not understood. In the appointment lists issued since that date the total number of promotions of officers to the classes referred to has been only 95.

“Under the Post Office system of working many positions have a minimum ahd a maximum salary value. Sometimes to keep down the. number of transfers an officer is appointed to a position at a minimum salary, and he is entitled later to receive increments which take him to the. maximum salary for the position. This procedure obviates heavy and unnecessary expenditure in removal expenses.

“There arc also cases in wheih officers receive ‘personal’ gradings in order to avoid their having to be transferred unduly long distances. However, when this course is followed it is customary at the first suitable opportunity to transfer them to vacancies corresponding to their improved status in nearby offices. “Promotion in the Post Office is by merit; and in the appointments made over the past few months there have been some few cases in which officers have received comparatively rapid advancement. With the retirement of so many senior officers this was inevitable. ‘On the other hand there have been cases iu which the commencing salary for the newly-appointed officer hag been lower than that paid to his predecessor. "All appointments are made by the Departmental Promotion Board. On this board is a staff representative who is elected by the service—both first and second divisions—on whose behalf he exercises a watching brief. “The policy of promotions outlined as for the first (clerical) division applies also to the second (general) division aud it is only because there have been no recent retirements of. higher paid second division officers that appointments to the more advanced second division positions have not featured in the recent promotion lists.” /