§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W., and Sligo, S.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether fully appointed telegraphists performing night duty in the large English 1113 and Scotch centres, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol, Birmingham, and Hull, are allowed an annual holiday of three weeks; whether, in Belfast, 45 fully appointed telegraphists, performing night and Sunday duties, are allowed no more than a fortnight's holiday in the year; whether telegraphists transferred from Glasgow to Belfast have had their annual holidays reduced from three weeks to two; whether the telegraphists concerned handed to the Postmaster of Belfast, in October 1884, a Memorial praying for equality of holiday privilege with English and Scotch telegraphists performing similar duties, and whether, notwithstanding that the Memorialists have since, on 10 occasions, petitioned for a reply, no reply has yet been given; whether, in 1885, the Postmaster refused, and whether he still refuses, to allow the clerks to address a Memorial to the Postmaster General; and, whether the annual holiday will be extended?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (SIR HENRY HOLLAND) (Hampstead)(who replied) said: As a general rule, where the conditions of work are the same the annual leave is the same. There are certain differences in the work in Belfast which accounts for the shorter leave in certain cases. The telegraphists who came from Glasgow did so at their own desire, and, of course, came under the Rules and Regulations of Belfast. I am further informed that the subject has been repeatedly under the consideration of the Postmaster General, and numerous replies have been given to applications from Belfast and elsewhere. I may, however, remind the hon. Member of the answer the Postmaster General gave on the 10th instant—namely, that he was considering the subject, and would, at the proper time, announce his decision.