§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will explain why it is that, while the arbitration agreement between masters and men of 19th November, 1891, fixed the working time for carpenters and joiners at 51¼ hours per week for 36 summer weeks and 47 for 16 winter weeks, the men employed at the Postal Telegraph Factory are expected to work 54 hours per week; whether he is aware that these conditions, and the other conditions of employment, prevent those carpenters and joiners who are members of trade unions bound by the terms of the arbitrator's 565 award from seeking work at the I Telegraph Factory; whether any complaints have been made to him on the subject, and whether two joiners were recently discharged because they refused to break the recognised rules of the trade by working longer hours; whether he is aware that the Board of Works, in a letter dated 24th December, 1891, have adopted for the men employed by them the working hours laid down in Rule 1 of the arbitrator's award; and whether he can see his way to follow the example thus set by another Department?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSONThe hours of work at the Telegraph Factory are uniform for the tradesmen employed, and not varying according to those worked elsewhere by those of similar trades in different circumstances. I am not aware that carpenters belonging to unions have been thereby debarred from seeking work at the factory, and no complaints on the subject have been received. The men referred to are believed to have been two of three who were parted with on the completion of a piece of work connected with the extra pressure at Christmas. Their discharge was not connected with the question of shorter hours. Having regard to the privileges of a fortnight's leave on full pay, and of an extra day at Christmas, which the carpenters in the factory enjoy in common with the other people there, their pay amounts to more than they would receive under the union pay rules, while the employment is steady and continuous. I believe that the circumstances of employment by the Board of Works differ from those in the Post Office Factory.