GOVERNMENT OFFICECLEANERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 36, 11 February 1926, Page 14

GOVERNMENT OFFICECLEANERS

A COMPLAINT AND REPLY

A correspondent, "One of the Strugglers," writes to "The Post" complaining that injustice is suffered by some women in the matter of securing employment as cleaners in Government offices, her allegation being that widows with families to support are turned down in favour of women whose circumstances are not straitened. ■ v. ■ " On making inquiries into the matter, a "Post" representative was assured that in filling vacancies for office^cleaners the tiovernment officials give preference tp women whose cases are considered to be the most necessitous. All applications for employment are filed. and full inquiries made into the circumstances of each Applicant. Sometimes it is difficult to make a choice, and a woman with several children who has been deserted by her husband may be deemed more deserving of engagement than a widow is in receipt of a pension. All things being equal, applications are considered in order of receipt, but due regard is paid to the suitability of the applicants and the circumstances of thenindividual cases. The Government ofncials, it was stated, had no object to gain in putting one application before another without reason, and it often happened that if there were no vacancies at (xovernment Buildings applicants were referred to other likefy places of employment in Government offices, such as the Vostutfice, Parliament Buildings, or the Kailway Department's offices.