TO BE RETIRED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 November 1938, Page 9

TO BE RETIRED

P. AND T. OFFICERS COMPLETION OF 40 YEARS’ SERVICE I United Press Association! CHRISTCHURCH, 29th November. All officers, except three, of the Post and Telegraph Department who have completed 40 years of service will be retired by the end of this year, stated the Hon. F. Jones (PostmasterGeneral) when he was interviewed la,st evening. The retention of men with more than 40 years' service has been a vexed question in the service for some time. Before the election, the “Katipo,” the official journal of the Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association, contained a leading article on the subject, and the correspondence and branch notes which followed indicated that the continuance of the employment of these officers was the cause of serious grievance among other employees. “By practically the end of this year, only three officers who have completed more than 40 years’ service in the Department will be employed, and they will be relieved as soon as they can be released by the Government,” said the Postmaster-General. Questioned on the retention of the three officers, Mr Jones said: "As soon as the work they are now undertaking is completed, those officers will be relieved. They have been retained for special reasons.” The general tone and the relations in the service were quite good, the Postmaster-General said. “We do not say that we have satisfied all the service, but we have brought about many improvements. Of course, they are not the last word. We realise that there are further improvements to be made. Of course, the question of the most prudent time then arises. When we are in a position to bring about the desired improvements, we will endeavour to do so.”