MR. T. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Postmaster General whether an application from the sorting clerks of the Dublin and Cork Travelling Post Office (American Mail) for payment for Sunday duty was refused by the Secretary, London, in March, 1891, on the representation of the Controller, Dublin, that the staff were not called upon to perform as large an average daily duty as other officers of the Dublin Department; if such representation was correct, was the time this staff has to wait at Queenstown occasionally for homeward mails included in the return of their duties prepared by the Controller; whether a similar application made in November, 1892, has been refused recommendation by the Controller on the same grounds, and no definite reply received since, notwithstanding the fact that the late Postmaster General (Mr. Raikes) stated in May, 1891, when questioned on the subject of payment for Sunday duty, that he was not aware of a single instance where such duty was performed in which payment had not been made; and whether these officers are the only Post Office servants in the United Kingdom who are not in receipt of pay for Sunday duty: and, if this application were granted, what extra charge would be involved?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY, Nottingham, E.)An application from the sorting clerks in the Dublin and Cork Travelling Post Office for extra payments for Sunday work was refused in March, 1891, on the ground 1598 that the average attendance of the staff was considerably less than 48 hours a week. The time of waiting at Queens-town for homeward mails was taken into account in reckoning the average attendance. Taking these occasional periods of waiting into account, the average weekly attendance of these officers is about 35 hours a week. The Memorial of November, 1892, since the circumstances have not altered, was refused by the Secretary, Dublin, on his own responsibility. Mr. Raikes' answer in the House of Commons on the 12th May, 1891, no doubt referred only to fully employed officers. It is believed that there are very few officers on the Establishment of the Department who are not in receipt of pay for Sunday duty, unless when the Sunday duty added to their week-day duties does not increase the average attendance to more than the number of hours required of them in each week. It is not in contemplation to extend this privilege to officers, who render less than the average attendance of 48 hours a week.
MR. T. M. HEALYDo I understand that the Department does take into account the time these officers are in waiting?
§ MR. A. MORLEYI believe it was taken into account on the former occasion, and it has been taken into account for the purpose of my statement.