§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether the staff attached to the Dublin and Cork Travelling Post Office (American Mail) are the only sorting clerks in the United Kingdom who are not in receipt of payment for Sunday work; whether previous to payment for Sunday duty being granted, a 21st part of those officers' weekly pay was deducted per diem when absent on sick leave, and 555 since payment was granted 1–18th has been deducted when absent on sick leave for any period less than a week in common with all other officers who receive Sunday pay; whether, in accordance with the latter portion of the foregoing paragraph, the working week consists of six working days; and, if so, why payment for Sunday work is withheld from those officers; whether he recently refused payment for Sunday duty to the staff on the representation of the Dublin authorities that, including the time of working at Queenstown for homeward American mails, their average weekly duty does not amount to 48 hours; and has he received a Memorial addressed to him on the 26th June by the Dublin and Cork Travelling Post Office staff, showing their weekly duty (exclusive of Sunday) to average above 60 hours?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY,) Nottingham, E.I am not aware whether the staff referred to by the hon. Member are the only sorting clerks who are not in receipt of payment for Sunday work; but if there are any others who do not receive such payment, it would be for the same reason, as I explained in my answer to the hon. Member of the 18th December last—namely, that their Sunday duties added to their week-day duties does not increase their attendance to more than the regular number of hours required of them in each week. Since the introduction of payment for Sunday duty, the officers in question have, in regard to deductions for sick absence, been treated in the same way as other members of the Dublin Sorting Force, of which they form part, and the deduction has been 1–18th instead of 1–21st part of their ordinary weekly pay. This part of the hon. Member's question has, however, no longer any practical importance, as under the new Regulation no deduction is made on account of sick absence, unless the sickness is due to causes within the officer's own control. I find that a Memorial was received from the sorting clerks employed in the Travelling Post Office at the end of last month, containing further representations respecting their weekly attendance, and these are now under investigation. I may add that the duty in the Dublin and Cork (American Mail) Travelling Post Office is a much-coveted one; and if those who are now engaged in it are not contented 556 with the conditions of their employment, they are at perfect liberty to give it up and resume their ordinary duties in the Dublin Sorting Office. Many others will be only too glad to take their places.