P. AND T. SALARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18710, 16 May 1924, Page 11

P. AND T. SALARIES.

MINISTER STANDS FIRM.

ASSOCIATION'S DEMANDS.

CLAIMS HELD UNREASONABLE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] , WELLINGTON, Thursday.

Following is the text of a letter forwarded by the Postmaster-General to the secretary of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers' Association:— "In reference to your letter of May 6, I have to inform you that when new schedules covering the Post and Telegraph Department were drawn up in 1919, an endeavour was made to provide salaries which compared favourably with those paid by outside employers. Inquiry made before the schedules were recently revised showed that the present salaries are in many instances higher than those paid in outside employment. I consider that the schedules as now drawn up provide for a fair and reasonable payment for the work which officers are called upon to do, and I believe that the salaries now proposed compare favourably with those paid in private era ployment for work which can reasonably be compared with that done in the department. "The Government's proposals were placed before your organisation on April 17 for comment, and although your ass? ciation has commented on the schedules orally, and at very considerable length in writing, I am unable to find in the statements any evidence to show that the salaries proposed by the Government for clerks and telegraphists are not so gon erous as those paid to clerks or that the proposed remuneration of line men, postmen, messengers, etc., is not as high as that paid to persons doing work of approximately equal importance in private employment. Apparently your association is not aware that the salaries proposed by it are considerably higher than those paid outside the department. If the salaries proposed by your organisation for linemen, postmen, messengers, etc., were agreed to such men would be in the very happy position- of receiving higher salaries than those now paid to clerks employed in banks, insurance and shipping offices and the officers of the largest local bodies. "It should be quite unnecessary for me to remind you that the work done by the clerks I have referred to is worth more than the duties performed by the rank-and-file officers of the general division. Your association's proposals for the clerical division also provide for higher salaries for clerks and telegraphists than are being paid to rank-and-file clerks employed by almost all the largest institutions in the Dominion. I fail to understand why a postal clerk in his eighth year of service should receive approximately £100 per annum more than a bvik clerk of similar service, or *7*hy_the departmental officer should be paid £110 to £124 per annum more than a clerk in his eighth year of service in an insurance or shipping office. "It is also not clear to me why a postal officer, after eight years' training, is worth £150 per annum more than clerks of equal training employed by some of the largest local bodies. lam aware that when these comparisons are made your association replies that clerks employed outside are grossly underpaid. If it would cost approximately £450,000 to bring the salaries and wages of 9137 post and telegraph employees up to the standard laid down by your association, it would be interesting to know what amount would be required to bring the many thousands of other employees in the Dominion up to the same standard."