A PRIVILEGED ORDER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 224, 16 June 1920, Page 8

A PRIVILEGED ORDER

POST AND TELEGRAPH SERVICE

OUTSPOKEN COMMENT

In the course of Gomo outspoken utterances at last night's gathering under the auspices of the AVellington Post and Telegraph Otticois' Association, Mr. A. Jlarkman, First Assistant Secretary to the Department, in reminding bis ic.low officers that their working conditions, privileges ami concessions were in excess of those onjoyed by any other body of men and women, pointed out that it had always been tho practice of the Departmental administration to view tho men's requests from the men's side as well as from tho othe.r side. If tho Department did not they would not now he enjoying tho privileges which they did. But did thoy always view their requests from a Departmental point of view? "I am afraid," continued tho speaker, "you do not; in some cases at all events. For instance, eomo of you will remember that years ago no overtime was payable unless an officer performed duty in excess of 98 hours a fortnight. Then the Department reduced that to 48 hours per week—a distinct advantage, as you will all realise. Subsequently you pressed for a reduction to 44 hours a week. . . .

Well, the latest .request is for overtime after seven hours daily. To be candid with you, I am entirely opposed to that. If you were a number of men being paid by the hour for your labour, with no rights, privileges, and concessions, you would be entitled to it. But su.rcly it is not suggested that you should work under tho same conditions as those paid by the hour for their labour. (Wartime Claim Criticised. "Now I suggest to you that in making a claim for the payment of overtime in excess of seven hours daily, you are i.ot giving one thought to the Department's side of tho question. I put it to you .this way: For a week a large number of you will work from six Jiours to 6ix hours fortj'-fivo minutes daily, inclusive of your Bmoke spell, and perhaps threo or four hours on the Saturday, and this continues month in and month out,' Now, do you consider that-you are warranted in asking for overtime if public business requires your attendance on very rare occasion for 8 or 9 hours per day? In your hearts Ido not think so. But Ido think this, and I say it in all sincerity, that your association— our association, I should say, becauso 1" am a member—appears to overlook the many privileges and concessions you receive. I)oes a man outside . who receives a fixed wage enjoy anything- liko I'ho privileges and concessions you dof I think' the answer is. No. Ido not like to have our officers compared .'with some organisations as I have heard. Goodness me, there is no comparison." V/lint happened to the wages man if he became sick? continued the speaker. Did he receive full pay for several months, half-pay for a like period, and quarter-pay for several months more? '

After outlining leave of absence and other privileges that members of tho gfirvico ( enjoyed, Mr. Markmuu remarked; "There are many others, but I have said sufficient to demonstrate what I mean, that is to say, if your salary question is satisfn ctorily settled there should lib satisfaction all round. I have spoken freely and with all sincerity, with the hope that some good would eventuate. . . . You may think that my remarks to some extent have been of tho 'schoolmaster' style, but, let me assure you_that what I havo said I mean, and if you assume from tuo tone of my remarks that I am not with you you are quite wrong." • Concluding Mr. Markman said ho was with tho association if it was right ana reasonable. For the next six months during tho absencc of the Secretary to the Department (Mr. Morris) it would fall to his lot to deal with matters affecting their welfare, and he would always be pleased to discuss any questions which could bo more satisfactorily settled in that way rather than by correspondence.