P. & T. GRIEVANCES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17894, 14 June 1920, Page 5

P. & T. GRIEVANCES.

ANOTHER CRISIS. OFFICERS DISSATISFIED WITH PREMIER’S REPLY. DELEGATES COMMUNICATE WITH BRANCHES. WELLINGTON, June 12. Negtiations between the P. and T. Officers’ Conference and the Government reached a head this morning, the position being made clear in a statement supplied by the conference covering letters which passed between it and the Prime Minister. The following letter was sent by tue secretary of the conference (Mr H. Combs) to the Prime Minister on Thursday: “I have to acknowledge your letter of the 7th inst., and to say that a conference of this association being now in session, your letter was read to the delegates assembled. I am sorry to advise you that your reply is not clearly understood, and 1 am directed to ask if you intended the Association to conclude from your reply that the results reached by the railway tribunal are to be applied to and become binding upon members of the P. and T. service. If so, my delegates direct me to enter the strongest possible objection fo such proposal. This service had no opportunity of being heard by any of the railway tribunals, and its views and conditions are practically unknown to them. On the salary question I am directed to point out fhat the issue is a simple one so far as this Association is concerned, viz., whether the basic wage of 1914 (£165) should or should not be improved to the extent of living, with consequent adjustments above and below the new basic point 10 cover the special skill, education, and responsibilities, or to meet the case of officers being trained. As the principal business of this conference revolves around this essential point, it is hoped you can not only answer the query in the first part °f this letter, but that you can also give an answer to the major point as well.” THE PREMIER’S REPLY. Mr Massey replied under date 11th June as follows: “I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday, from which I am sorry to learn my reply, to which you refer, is not clearly understood by yourself or the members of your Association. The position is to my mind very simple. As soon as the Government receives the recommendation from the tribunal which is dealing with the wages and conditions of railwaymen, the whole question of what bonus should be granted to postal officers and other members of the Public Service will be considered by Cabinet, and their decision so far as the P. and T. Department is concerned will be made known to your organisation. I understand the tribunal dealing with mattetrs in which the Railway Department are interested will conclude its sitting to-day, or not lafer than to-morrow. Then the Railway Officers’ Institute tribunal will be immediately convened, but as their business may be said to be not so complicated as is the case with the other -two branches of the railway service, its silting should not take long. ’ The conference, when this letter was read out, expressed the strongest indignation that the P. and T. officers' grievances should be settled on the basis of the railway grievances and conditions, and not on their own merits, and abiomte astonishment was expressed that the important salary question, which had been directly beft e the Government since 4th May last, should be converted now into a "bonus” question. An urgent telegram embodying the feelings of 'he conference was despatched to Mr Massey, and the conference adjourned, pending receipt of his reply to a request, for an Interview. The delegates are now in communication with their branches, and <t is expected the whole question will be thoroughly gone into by members throughout New Zealand.