MR. TILLET (Norwich)To ask the Postmaster-General whether he has received a memorial from the Norwich telegraph staff, asking that the holiday arrangements may be altered and that seniority of service may be the basis of selection for the periods of annual leave; and whether an Answer can now be given in view of the fact that the lists for 1907 will be prepared almost immediately.
† See (4) Debates, clxvi, 957–8.
§ (Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) I have had this question under consideration, and I find that for ten years past the men staff and women staff have chosen their leave separately according to seniority. Under a combined list, as desired by the male staff, the summer months would, by reason of seniority, fall to the men and the winter months to the women. This would obviously be very unfair to the latter, and I could not agree to it. In 1898 the Norwich staff were offered a scheme whereby the bulk of the holidays would have been restricted to the better months of the year; but this they refused, although such a scheme finds favour at many offices. This scheme is still open to adoption if they desire to accept it. As an alternative I am now offering the staff another scheme under which the holidays may be divided into two approximately equal parts taken in rotation, one part in summer and one part in winter, an arrangement also obtaining at several other large offices.