§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General will be explain why the town postmen of Manchester are only paid for work on Christmas Day at the ordinary day rate, whereas by legislative enactment Christmas Day is to be observed as a Sunday, and therefore they ought to be paid at rate and a quarter, at which rate other employés of the Manchester Post Office working indoors on Christmas Day are paid; will be explain why the town postmen themselves, who work indoors for some eight or nine hours (and only two and a half or three hours outside) under inspection of an officer, do not come under the higher rate paid without difficulty to the said inside employés; whether he will inquire into this grievance and cause it to be remedied; and will be inquire whether several of the hours worked on Christmas Day should be considered night duty?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.I am not aware that Christmas Day is by legislative enactment to be observed as Sunday. Postmen employed in the delivery and collection of letters receive at Manchester, as elsewhere, an extra day's wages on Christmas Day for all work performed, including the preparation of the letters for delivery, which must, of course, be done indoors, before 1102 they start upon their delivery; and it is not proposed to alter this rate of payment. The principle under which the indoor staff of the Post Office are paid a rate and a, quarter or the overtime rate for work done on Sundays and Christmas day has never been applied to the staff employed on outdoor duties, who are not paid for overtime.
§ MR. SCHWANNasked if the men did not, as a rule, consider it a greater hardship to be kept at work on Christmas Days than on Sundays?
§ [No answer was given.]