ASSOCIATION SECRETARY IN REPLY.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 85, 12 April 1920, Page 3

ASSOCIATION SECRETARY IN REPLY.

"CRUDE PTECEI OF SIDE-

STEPPING."

v ~*«Wfll« A BSOOTATtOJw. 1

WELLINGTON, April 10. Mr Coombs,. secretary of' the. Post and Telegraph Officers.' Association, mad© an interesting statement today by way of answer to the Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department in regard to the growing dis<x>ntent and dissatisfaction in the postal services. Mr Coombs, declares that the', official reply can only be characterised as a crude piece of side-stepping. The facts are that the men of the rank-and-file received ■an increase of £35; while senior officers received £51. The basis cf \':he now classification was to be a five-year training period (beyond the messenger stage), then a decent- living wage. The salary scales which were to give effe-ofc to this basis were hot fixed finally until six months after they had been determined upon, and wei'e certainly better in some particulars than those at first cllrai'ted; but the scale of salaries was not nearly so important as its application to the individual. On this point tho servico had the greatest grievance.

A telegraph messenger who was promoted to a cr.dets-hip would, after 1 five years, i-eceive' £180. The association eoi-.slide-red that a cadet who had ill ready completed five years as such should receive the same salai-y. which was quite reasonable; but actually officore who had completed six and seven years' service were placed on a salary of £165. Tho same thing happened in the General Division (postmen), where' mew expecting £163 i-eceived only ' £130, with a further year before- getting £156. Little diffei'entia.tic«i was made betweon the work of senior and junior men mi the same grade, as men receiving £165 worked sliift about with men getfciug £270; while a. postman on £153 was interchangeable with n man drawing £208. Tho matter of grie^;anct« was discussed before the Appeal Board! at Wangnuai, and it was considered by the Board that the rectification of such grievances was beyond the powers conferred on .it by ■the Act, and the matter had to rest there for the time being. The Department declared that .the average salary for 1910 was £55.24 better : •than the average salary for 1914. The Public Service Commissioners' annual reports showed the increase to be only £36.51.

iSpeaking of messengers, Mr Coombs said it was not right to tell tho public that telegraph messengers merely joined, the "Department a,s a stepping-stone to other employment. Many of tliom would bo content to stay witlx the Department if the mes-sen-getr sei-vice counted for anything and'tli© immediate future held 'out <i.s blight prospects as othei- cmplov.'m'nt did.