HC Deb 27 July 1893 vol 15 cc639-40
MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)

I beg-to ask the Postmaster General, with regard to the clerks employed at the Central Telegraph Office, who are divided into three classes—namely, second, first, and senior, whether all of these are instrument clerks; whether, under the present system, clerks on reaching the top of one class may have to wait for years before promotion to the next class, notwithstanding that their duties and qualifications are similar to those already in the upper class: whether he is aware that this system has been for years the cause of great dissatisfaction among the clerks who have frequently petitioned against it; whether this Department is the only one in which such a system of classification is adopted; and whether he will now make inquiry to see if anything can be done to remove the grievance complained of? I will also ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is aware that during the period of the administration of the Fawcett Scheme (1881–91) no second class clerk in the Central Telegraph Office of good character reached the maximum salary of his class before his promotion to the first class; whether the early promotion in these cases was due to the increase of traffic; and whether, in view of the large increase of work, now proved by the employment of a large body of permanent temporary hands and much overtime, he will consider the advisability of reverting to this method of promotion?

* MR. A. MORLEY

The answer to the first paragraph is in the negative. The answer to the second paragraph is in the affirmative; but, as a matter of fact, there are only about 20 out of 600 telegraphists in the first class who have reached the maximum, and there are none in the second class. Petitions have, no doubt, been received in favour of an increase in the number of places on the higher classes, and such additions to those classes have from time to time been made as the circumstances have appeared to justify, but not, I can well believe, so as to fulfil all expectations. The system of division into classes in operation in the Central Telegraph Office is, so far as I am aware, common to the whole of the Civil Service. In connection with the foregoing matters I cannot admit the existence of a well-founded grievance.