UNJUST WAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 842, 10 December 1929, Page 9

UNJUST WAGE

“SWEATED LABOUR” IN POST AND TELEGRAPH EMPLOYEES VOICE PROTEST “The Government is taking advantage of the economic conditions existing outside the service to employ boys and youths at an unjust wage.” This statement was made at a largely attended meeting of officers of the Post and Telegraph service held last evening when Mr. J. H. McKenzie, general secretary of the Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association, ip an address placed before those present aspects of the present service conditions and grievances. Particular reference was made to the organisation’s efforts to obtain improved salary conditions for the lower-paid officers of the service. The department’s policy of employing telegraph message boys indefinitely at a fixed salary of £57 per annum was criticised. A number of officers between the ages of 21 and 24 years were being paid salaries ranging from £3G to £122 per annum. This Mr. McKenzie said, was a grave injustice and the association was strenuously fighting for a minimum wage of approximately £4 a week upon attaining the age of 21 years. UNITED ACTION

Mr. McKenzie stressed the necessity of united action by the service in order to obtain recognition of the claims being made. Me was not afraid of criticism as he was convinced that the association’s cause was a just one. Dealing with the political aspect, in reply to a question as to the association’s attitude, Mr. McKenzie stated that the present constitution of the association did not allow' of political action. It was, to his mind, impossible for such an organisation to attempt to support any one political party.

It was proposed to ask the Government to place the service under a system of arbitration in order to remove it from the present political control. Questioned as to the association’s attitude regarding compulsory retirement after 40 years’ service, Mr. McKenzie said the association was very emphatic on that point and had already protested strongly to the Post-master-General and the secretary of the department in regard to a recent case of an officer of more than 40 years’ service being retained. The case was causing much concern among senior officers in the service. Retired officers were also wanting to know why they had been forced out of the service in view of the present attitude of the department. A resolution deploring the action of the department in retaining officers of 40 years’ service and requesting reversion to the policy of recent years was unanimously endorsed by the meeting. The recent publication of the service classification list revealed to the service the institution of a special class for certain qualilied officers. This had caused a good deal of criticism.

At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. McKenzie was thanked for his address and the explanations of the many questions.