NO UNIFORMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23486, 25 October 1939, Page 8

NO UNIFORMS

!. SHOCK FOR STAFFS POST OFFICE EDICT MEN TO PROVIDE CLOTHES HARDSHIP ON JUNIORS No more uniforms are to be supplied to officers, of the Post and Telegraph Department until the end of the war, and staffs are expected to provide their own clothing, preferably blue in colour. The situation is without precedent in the history of the department, and its announcement, in a memorandum received in Auckland, has dumblounded members of the various uniform branches, who say they have had an additional and unjust burden added to those they already bear. Strong representations are to be made to the Government. No Further Issues The customary annual requisitions for uniforms were sent to Wellington about six weeks ago. To the surprise of the many hundreds of postmen, chauffeurs, telegraph messengers and linesmen, the stores manager attached to the Post and Telegraph Department sent a memorandum to the Auckland Chief Post Office stating that no further issues of uniforms would be made to any of the uniform staffs. It was • pointed out yesterday that this decision Avould bear very heavily upon many of the juniors, especially messengers, some of whom received only £6O a year, and upon'postmen iti suburban and country areas where heavv bags of mail had to be carried long distances, and clothes wore out quickly. Chauffeurs, too, because of the nature of their work, would suffer. " Has Come as Bombshell " Information made available last night suggested it had been laid down in the past that uniforms wej-e expected to last a year. If, however, a supervising officer was of the opinion that a uniform became worn out before the end of the year by reasonable wear and tear, it could be replaced earlier. "It has come as a bombshell," an officer said last night, "and it is the intention of the Post and Telegraph Employees' Association to take up the matter and make representations to the Government. As far as I know, no reason has been given for the decision.