P. AND T. GRIEVANCES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 6

P. AND T. GRIEVANCES

REPORT TO THE ASSOCIATION

SALARIES AND RETRENCHMENT.

The secretary of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association, Mr. H. E.. Combs, in a report to the association, draws attention to events of far-reaching importance to post and telegraph officers since the bringing down of the last general report a year and nine months ago.

"Conditions of employment," the report states, "have been very adversely altered, salaries and wages have been reduced, retrenchment has unsettled the whole service, and, generally speaking, the staff has had a sharp set-back. "When the last general conference was held (October, 1921) the association existed as a practically unrecognised organisation. It had the shadow of official recognition extended to it, but, for all practical purposes, that recognition was not worth bothering about. . , It is good to be able to record, therefore, that the 1921 conference capable and effectively accomplished the principal task for which it was assembled. It laid the plans whereby our official recognition was placed on a permanent basis,, and which ultimately led to the agreement which was signed by the Post-master-General.

After referring to the retrenching of some officers and the reducing in status of others from the clerical to the general division, over 200 in all, the report continues that there was no right of appeal, nor were the men and women 'bo treated given the slightest opportunity of off-setting the—up till then—secret reports made on them. Under pressure, the Department did agree to alldw those concerned to see these special reports, but the damage was done, and no case is known of an officer being given an opportunity to offset his or her report and so re-establish a claim for continuance of employment or of clerical statjxs;

"No doubt the Department was but the instrument in this matter, and ivas merely carrying out the policy of the higher authority—the Goyernm'eufc^-in undermining the confidence in their own position of those who were unaffected T)y it, and so cut shortly any possibility of a. general protest. Your association did what it could, but, faced with a Government which could muster 46 votes to its opponents' 32, arid which was embarked oh a Dominion-wide campaign against the living and working conditions of employees outside, as well as inside, the Public Service, without practical effect."

Reference is also made to the muchdiscussed decision of the association as a result of the ballot, 4379 votes for, 1973 against, to join up with the Alliance of Labour, and the report proceeds:—"The citizen rights of the Public aervant became parataount, andj as the only possible means left of testing this issue, the executive committee decided to petition the Kiiig. This petition has gone forward, and fiis Majesty's reply is awaited with the greatest possible interest."

Cohvplaiht is made of the Department's decision to cut put cash payments for. overtime, which decision fell concurrently with a hardening up of the hours of duty, "which latter decision fell heaviest on the female officers of the telephone exchange. ,

Under the heading of "Compulsory Retirement," tyl'r. Gombs writes: — "While 'staff redundancy' was held oycr our heads as an effectivp -reply to requests for service improvements, a special effort was made to.have the rule of compulsory retirement after completion of 40 years' service, established. In the circumstances, there was practically-"rio argument against it, and it was sonic satisfaction to know that it was very largely applied to the service. Exceptions were made, however, which were a source of general irritation, especially to those whom the rule forced out ou superannuation, .Obviously, such a rule can only be acceptable if 100 per cent, of those affected are made subject to it, .and it is to be hoped that, in its future application, this is "the percentage that will operate.

"'.One very great grievance begotten of the economy period is tlie flagrant breach of the agreement of 1918 regarding the scale of pay for general flivisipn officers. warning, and with no. opportunity of representation, additional steps were introduced into this scale which had the effect of lengthening the period necessary to rise from the minimum salary to the maximum by at leaist two years. It must be remembered in this connection that the maximum, when reached, xvas oftentimes lower than could be commanded for the same class of work in outside employ. jOur 1918 agreement stood for a five-year training, period (apprentice stage), two years* improver, and then scale maximum pay. Thus, a boy of 16 would be guaranteed a journeyman's wage afc the'age of 23. Under the substituted scale a boy of 16 cannot now expect journeyman's pay until, he is 25 or 26, while his gross earnings over these eleven years is much lower than those of an unskilled worker working full time on "award wages. ■'■ ' "The"Adjustment' Board, the report concludes, was s'uppdsed to temper the ill-wind of" the 'wage-cut' Act to the l'ublic servant. So far as ran be'ascertained, iio applicant for relief under the 'hardships' regulations has had' a favpuralile reply, but regulations 'which were .unreasonable' or harsh c'o'uid be altered, .and the Adjustment Board's iiiability or * refusal to'make adjustments' only made' stronger the need for elected scr> ,vic.e representatives on such'bodies."