P. AND T. OFFICERS'

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 206, 26 May 1920, Page 8

P. AND T. OFFICERS'

LOCAL MEN SEEK PROMPT REPLY

UNWILLING TO AWAIT ISSUE ■■<. OF RAILWAY DISPUTE

; A meeting of. the Wellington section ■of the New Zealand Post and Tele- ; graph Officers' Association was held in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street, last evening. .Mr. M. Cummins ' presided 'over a good attendance. ■' The chairman made brief reference to the deputation that waited on tho Prime Minister threo weeks ago and asked for an increase of .62 per cent, on ihe basic wage. He said he had gathered the; impression that Mr. Masse„v conceded the request for a 62 per cent, rise in the basic wage of ,£165, provided that the Board of Trade figures regarding ,tho cost of living bore out the statements of the deputation. He considered that that was a big step forward. The executive's' request for an early reply ' had been met by Mr. Massey with the statement, that the Tailwaymen's demands were at present before the Government, and that until a conclusion was arrived at in regard to them requests from other branches-of the Pub-:Jio-:-Service-' could not bo finally dealt with. Tho negotiations for settlement ■ of the railway dispute might last till December, commented the chairman. What the P. and T.. officers' wanted was 'an increase in salaries this ye.ar—not •'next year. (Hear, hear.) Mr. E. Ward moved: "That the meeting is of opinion that the Prime Minister is again side-stepping our demands, and calls upon the executive to demand a reply within seven days}, that, failing a satisfactory reply within the 6tated time, it be an instruction to WellingJon delegates, to the conference to press 'for immediate drastic action."

The mover considered that the Dominion- Conference of tho association .(which is to be held on June 9) should navo wme definite-reply before it._ Tho association could not afford to wait till ■ the railway men's dispute had been settled. ' The motion was carried, • there being only three dissentients. The following motion, proposed by . Mr. Mason,. was carried: "That, this branch desires to place on "record its | appreciation of the untiring efforts of 1 the executive to obtain, increased salai ries to meet the high cost of living, and pledges itself to support the executive wholeheartedly in any action it may "take to overcome any setback." i Remits to Conference. V The following remits were framed for | submission to the Dominion conference 'of • the association:— ■ That failing tho introduction of a Saturday half-holidav. overtime be paid on that day for all 'duty performed exceeding three hours.. That the preseat system of fines for errors committed be abolished. That delegates to the conference include in their demands the claim of members who went abroad with the Kew Zealand Expeditionary Forces, and did not receive half-pay in addition to their military pay, to be put on a level with the more fortunate officers who received this benefit.

, That should there be a breakdown in the negotiations with the Government for increased pay, the meeting favours the setting up of a tribunal similar to the present railway tribunals. ■ ...That the meeting prefers the present system of control t« the old system of Commissioner control.