POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17657, 21 June 1919, Page 9

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT.

NEW, CLASSIFICATION SCHEME. GENEEAL DISSATISFACTION". SOME CAUSES*OF THE DISCONTENT. During the past week a number of resolutions, emanating from different parts of Inow Zealand, havo been published expressive of dissatisfaction with the recentlyformulated classification list of officers of the Post and Telegraph Department ' (([ At tho end of last year an Act entitled and Telegraph Department Act, 1918," was passed, tho provisions of which, came into operation on April 1, 1919. Under this Act a Promotion Board was established consisting of Messrs W. R. Morris (secretary), E. A. Shrimpton (chief telegraph enE, m cer), J. C. Williamson (chief inspector), G. M'Namara (suoerintendent of staff), and Mr James Mulvey (chief clerk in the Telegraph Office, Wellington), who was elected '■ by the officers of tho department. The : function of this board, as set out, in the Act, is to consider all appointments and to make a recommendation on tho basis of merit to the Public _ Service Commissioner, .-. n°u 1S res P? nsiWo for the final selection. Ihe classification scheme, to which so many objections are being raised, was fonnu- ; lated by the Promotion Board, and it waa designed to make provision for the better administration of tho department. With that intention in view, merit was made the primary basis of tho classification, and no* seniority, as in the past, although it was j provided that-where- two applicants were of ' equal merit seniority should be the deciding factor. The Post and Telegraph Officers* Associations throughout the countryfavoured the scheme, because they hoped and behoved that men in the lower and '■ middle grades of tho service, and particularly married men with families, would benefit by increases in salary, which would enable them more comfortably to meet the continually-rising cost of living. They considered, further, that the position of younger and abler men, who were capable of renaering better service to tho department than many of its older employees, would be greatly improved. One retired official, with whom a Daily Times reporter discussed the matter yesterday, stated that ■ among these older employees there was a proportion of "duffers," who were merely standing in the way .of abler and more " energetio officers, and t«e latter were placed • in the anomalous position of having to carry" out the higher duties at a lower salary. Iheso were two matters which it was confidently' anticipated would bo' remedied under the new 6cheme. It was scarcely to be expected" that the classification proposals-when brought down ■ would give entire satisfaction, but even when allowance is made for the initial diffi- ■ culties of the Promotion Board, its scheme has met with such treneral dissatisfaction as to suggest that the objections rest on-a solid foundation. 'The scheme is said to bo' ' full of anomalies and instances of individual injustice, some of which may. be cited. One noticeable feature. of the classification ssthat different salaries are to bo paid for the same relative positions in the respective centres, Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch all being graded higher than Dunedin. We are assured that tho margin of difference m tho work carried out in the various offices does not warrant the marked disparity which- exists in these salaries. Again, men who have occupied a certain position for several years are being transferred to make room, for others who will be called upen to do exactly the same class {?" tT 0 i at a muon enhanced salary. In both the local mail room and money order departments several good men have received only slight increases, whilst other men, who are not reckoned their equals in ability, have been placed over them. A grievance is also felt m the matter of granting increases in salary. It was felt that the officers meriting consideration those whose salaries ranged from £150 to £300 a year, but whereas these men will benefit to a comparatively slight extent, many of the higher-paid officials will receive increases of £100 a year, which, as one speaker remarked, "they, merely put in- the bank and draw interest on." Many officials in the service are puzzled as to the methods by which the Promotion Board arrived at its classifications. Soma time ago experts in tho various departments toured the dominion for the purpose of inspecting the work in the various offices, and on their return they furnished the board with reports regarding every officer.- But it is not known how much consideration the board gave to these reports or to tho reports of a man's immediate superiors, or whether it used its own judgment in the matter. Under the. Act an~ Appeal Board was established, and judging from present indications it re likely to have a particularly •busy time. Mr M'Namara stated in' Auckland the other day that where minor grievances existed these could be remedied by reference to the secretary, but this pronouncement had been over-ridden by a later d*. - partmental instruction, and officers desiring redress ml! have to appear before the Apt peal Board—an ordeal they view with small relish. ~ Another cause of discontent in the service and one which has a bearing on the new scheme, is the position of certain men with 40 years service and over. Officers who joined prior to 1873 come under the benefits of tho pensions scheme and make no payments for these benefits. Those who jomed later participate in the Superannuation Fund. Under the provisions of the latter fund any of these 40 years' service' men who may be transferred as a result' of the operation of the classification proposals will have to r"emain in their new positions for three years in order to entitle them to tho higher rate of superannuation. These' officials, it may be pointed out, are entitled to remain in the service of the department until they reach the age of 65 years. 'It is felt that if the department would allow these men _to leave the service under the same conditions as those which apply to 'Wie pensions scheme many of them would take advantage of tho offer and thus create an increased number of openings for tha younger members of the service. A meeting of tho local Post and TelesmDh Association will be held on Tuesday night to dismiss the classification list. ' .