SALARY REVISION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 915, 7 March 1930, Page 10

SALARY REVISION

F. AND T. SCHEDULE TO BE AMENDED SHORTER APPRENTICESHIP Tress Association WELEINGTOX. Tliursdu y. When the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward, assumed the portfolio of Post-master-General a few months ago, he stated that it was particularly for the purpose of examining in detail the position of the employees in that department, of which lie formerly had long experience. There appeared, he said, to be differentiation in the conditions of employment in different portions of the Government service, apparently without any reason, and therefore ho intended to have certain complaints in regard to the post and telegraph service investigated without delay. He requested the Uniformity Committee to investigate the position, and has now received the committee’s report. Sir Joseph stated today 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 division, after completing what might be termed their apprenticeship period of live years’ service. “For some reason n« t ap said the Prime Minister, “junior workmen in the post and telegraph service have had to serve a longer apprenticeship than is customary in private work or in 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 oC age, but under the new scale he should reach that wage at approximately 23 years of age. The new schedule will operate from April 1, 1930.