P. & T. SERVICE

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 40, 13 March 1930, Page 9

P. & T. SERVICE

LOWER-PAID MEN INCREASES IN SALARY

" The payment of increased wages to the lower-paid officers in. the Post and Telegraph. Service was announced recently by the Postmaster-General (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward).

In a covering statement Sir Joseph Ward said that when he assumed' the portfolio- of Postmaster-General a few months ago- it was particularly for the purpose of examining in detail the position of the employees in that Department of which he formerly had) long experience. There appeared to be differentiation in the conditions of- em-

ployment in different .portions; of the. Government, service, apparently without any reason and therefore he intended to have certain complaints in regard to the

Post and Telegraph service investigated without delay. He had requested the committee to investigate the position, and he-bad)* now received the committee's re^ port.

Sir Joseph Ward announced that after giving the matter full consideration he had decided to amend the salary schedule of the lower paid officers, 'because he had come to the conclusion that the^scale for the general division required revision so as to provide a more reasonable payment to male officers in that £ivision«ai> ter completing what might be termed their apprenticeship period of five years'

service.

"For. some reason not apparent" added Sir Joseph. Ward, "junior workmen, in the Post and Telegraph. Service* have had to serve a longer apprenticeship than is customary in private, work or jn other Departments of the. State; and Cabinet has agreed to a revision' of the salary schedule of male officers of the General Division of the Post and Telegraph .Service which will bring those wages into line with the general practice. For instance ,a workman usually- reaches .the maximum of his grade £240 when he is 26 years of age, but under the new scale he should reach that wage at approximately 23 years of age."

The new .schedule will ■ operate from

April I'next.