P. AND T. OFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 265, 5 August 1919, Page 5

P. AND T. OFFICERS

CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION. The conforenoo yesterday morning dealt with minor matters relating to annual leave, and in the afternoon devoted its attention to some sixty remits which bad come forward from tho various branches covering tho opinions of the service as regards tho new salary tchodules and their application to the staff generally. A very genoral and wide discussion followed, and before tho session terminated the following resolution was carried unanimously:

"That this conferenoe submits on tho following grounds that tho reclassification i$ disclosed by tlio classification list recently issued is not satisfactory: (a) That it, has not orovided a fixed increase to .ill pre-war maxima to cover the increased cost of living as has been accepted as a fair basis of reclassification by the Public Service Commissioner and the Railway -Department, (b) That not sufficient effort has been made to differentiate between officers on the ground N of superior ability or lack of nbility. (c) That the guarantee of a minimum salary after tho completion of tho training period of five years (exclusive of telegraph messenger service) has not been given effect to. (d) That the consequential rffect of the lailuro to embody tho principle of this guarantee has been to leave oEicers with considerable length of service beyond, tile messenger stage in a position where they cannot do justice to the needs of their dependants should Ibev be married or to assume tho full rights of .manhood and set up homes for themsehes should they lie singlo. 'el That many officers in the General Division with shortor sorvico and performing lower grade duties have been allotted !>etter salaries than clerical division officers of longer servico who are performing efficiently higher grado duties."

It was decided to submit to the association's solicitor the quwtion of whether any officer may apepal against the appointment of another oflker to a position which tho appellant considers ho is more entitled to hold.