P. & T. ASSOCIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10562, 13 April 1920, Page 3

P. & T. ASSOCIATION

THE WELLINGTON SECTION A FLOURISHING ORGANISATION. ANNUAL MEETING ADOPTS REMITS FOR CONFERENCE. Tho annual meeting of the "Wellington branch of the Post and Telegraph Officers.' .Association »'as held *ast night, tho chairman (Mr G. C. Patterson) presiding ever a' large attendance. Tho annual report, adopted on the motion of the chairman, showed that tho numerical strength of the Wellington section, including non-per-manent members, was 1108, as against 1072 for last year. In its report the executive expressed regret tint practically another year had gono by without tho claima of the "continuous-temporary" men to a place on the permanent staff bein" dealt with in" the way they are entitled to. This, despite the promiso. early in the year, of a solution ot this' problem. • The report also expressed keen appreciation of the improved scale ot annual leave, and drew attention to the fjao.t that the addition's to tho staff now being made will enable officers to act away on leave, although thoy haj.l, 'been expecting none this rear. REMITS ADOPTED. The following remits for. the ftnnual conference wore adopted: "That senior postmen ho appointed in tho four centres." "That tho department be urged topay interest on all money held back owing to delay in tho publication 01 the new classification list." "That the payment of travelling allowances on railway travelling post office duty be increased to Is per hour." "That this meeting of tho Wellington section urges upon the coming conference to use every endeavour to obtain a universal Saturday half-holi-day throughout the service.'' "That this meeting of tho Wellington se'etion urges upon the coming conference to use every endeavour in their power to obtain * <six-hvur straight duty for telegraph operators, owing to the highly technical and nerve-racking conditions of tho work. This is absolutely necessary in the intuitu of th« operator' facttkh.'* "That this meeting of tho Wellington section urges, upon the coming conference to bring before the department tho necessity of raising tho minimum payment for Sunday auty to not less than for five hours." "That allowaucos for officers acting in higher positions bo paid out ot« a. weekly basis J"That officers holding executive positions should bo paid at least £SO in .excess of the rank and file officers." "That this meeting -urges ijpon the conference to demand that the position of telegraph inspector bo maintained." "That this branch desires to impress "conference with the present unsatisfactory salaries which officers are now receiving, and maintains that no officer should be in receipt of less than £1 per day.'' "That tho head office, including the secretary'ss office, accountant's branch, chief iuapoctor's office, and i*. and T. stores, oe granted separate representation on the executive council." "That all officers performing any duty between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. be paid ordinary rates of overtime.''

"That all juniors working in offices such as chief telegraph and postal ameers be paid" salaries in respect of work done, all jim r ors being called upon to perform the- same work as senior cancers" me minimum io De u* least £200." '

"That tho department be called on to grant ofticera who proceeded on active service with, incomplete examinations, treatment in relation to promotion at least equal to that obtained by other officers previously in the samo position, who were promoted during their absence without passing examinations."

"That this meeting of the Wellington branch calls upon the executive to inaugurate a fund for emergency purposes." "That this branch considers that.tho department should grant an annual boot allowance of £6 per your to lettereurricis."

"That the executive committee of tho association be composed of not more than two officers holding executive positions," "That the position of accounts clerk, parcels branch, Wellington, bo raieod to a salary of £4OO per annum."

"That this branch desires conference to again approach the department foi payment of half-pay to all officers who were on active service, and thus fulfil that expression of loyalty by which tho Government called on private concerns to give half-pay to their employees who went on active service to make this country .'God's Own Country.' "

"That *})is branch desires to have conference Snow that the present controlling officers' examination is not a test of a man'fl ability, but only a stop-gap, and hopes that conference will endeavour to have this examination erased from the regulations." "That this branch desires to enter its strong disapproval of the present system of making out annual reports in so far as the marking has not been done in nccordancs with instructions issuctl from the head office, and sincerely hopes conference wi!l_ endeavour to have, annual reports which reflect the true position of our officers' utility to the department." *